Recently I have been meditating on the passage in Matthew, where Peter walks on the water to meet Jesus. I have been reading through Matthew for the past several weeks, but for some reason I haven't been able to move past this passage for the past several days.

I love this story for many reasons, probably because of how easy it is to relate to Peter's bold and yet quickly evaporating faith. I think it's so easy to identify with his sincere desire to meet with the Lord, and probably even more easy to identify with his literally sinking doubt. So often I find myself in the same position, so eager to be near to Jesus, but yet overcome by the questions or uncertainties around me.

I think it's easy to get lost in the swells of our circumstances, or for me, the never ending tide in my own mind. The "what ifs" lurk around every corner, and as a recovering perfectionist, the questions of "is it/I enough?" are ever present. But this morning, as I sat again meditating over these words, this particular verse grabbed me:

"Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 13:31

I think in my experience, this particular verse is used to illustrate for the nine millionth time our inevitably lacking faith. Sure, I get it. My attitude and actions so often say that I simply don't trust Him. But the past few days, what has really captured me was how Jesus immediately reached out and took hold of Peter. This is so reassuring to me, that in light of his doubt and despair, Jesus moved immediately. The loving Father, tenderly near, and eager to rescue.

But this morning, it dawned on me that Jesus moved to be neared to Peter before He calmed the storm. It's as if Jesus was more concerned about communicating his presence and protection than He was about the raging storm around them. What a word for my heart today! So often I find myself wrapped up in worry, questions, or prayer about the storms around me . . . overlooking that Jesus is more concerned about our intimacy first. How often have I looked past His reach to the waves, wailing even louder about how, when, and will He move to still them. And yet, as I see here with Peter, Jesus is more concerned that we take His hand in trust first.

He is, was, and will be Lord of our storms. He is always faithful, and in a word brings peace to our chaos.

But first, He desires to be our salvation, intimate friend, and sweetest assurance.What tenderness, that in the midst of all we create, imagine, and fear, He desires that first we would look away from what threatens to overcome us, and see His hand. He is first concerned that we might intimately know and trust Him, and safely in His arms, we might say with the awed disciples "Truly you are the Son of God!"