This blog is an attempt to go deeper into our last blog entitled “Living By The Word Or By Emotions.” I find myself in another place where Susan (my Wife) and I have put ourselves in a situation where only God can act. We believe that God called us to come and now we are waiting to see how He is going to work out all the details for the blessing He wants to give us.

As we sit in that place of waiting upon the Lord, both our minds and emotions are getting constantly bombarded with fear, apprehension, and a strong desire to act. At this point in our spiritual journey with the Lord we have learned a foundational principle for walking with God. If He calls you to do something, then He always provides what you need to complete the call. This has always been proven true numerous times over the past thirty-seven years we have been married. Yet despite all the proof of God’s Love and provision, the temptation to fear that God won’t provide is very strong.

In the quietness of our own thoughts, we hear voices saying things like:

You’re foolish, God won’t show up this time.

You need to act before it’s too late.

Don’t be stupid, God isn’t just going to have money show up out of nowhere.

Yet we know from Scripture and our own lives, that God does have provision show up out of nowhere. For the Israelites wondering in the desert, God provided Mana from heaven. When the Israelites wanted meat to eat, He provided quail. When He led the Israelites out of Egypt and to the Red Sea, there was nowhere to go. But at the last minute, before the Egyptians could get to them, God provided a dry path across the Red Sea.

There have been countless times where money or cars or houses showed up out of nowhere that we could use. As I have reflected on God’s provision for our lives, all five houses, including our current one, were acquired miraculously. God intervened in amazing ways that we could never have done without Him. So then with all this evidence of God’s ability to provide and desire to do so, why the struggle?

Returning to Natural Law

Recall that within the creation of the world, God established a natural law in which humanity could exist. He gave us laws to govern how things in nature would work, including humanity. As He gave the world different elements, attributes, systems and creatures, He also gave laws that governed all. This was both good and essential because order was required.

When original sin occurred, humanity and all of nature was fractured. It is important to note here that all disorder came from the one creature that was given the gift of free will. From that sinful act you have the rippling effect of disorder going not only throughout the world, but through the generations. Thus, we are fallen from grace and now live with a fallen nature. With that sin comes our disconnect with God and all the power and knowledge we would be afforded us if we were still united.

Once we receive Baptism and the Holy Spirit makes His home within our hearts, we are given the ability to learn, see, and understand God’s truth (1 Cor. 2:10-14). The Apostles were able to gain some of that knowledge about the living God as they followed Jesus. What was confounding for them was Jesus’ ability to circumvent natural law.

Remember, natural law was all they knew and understood. So you can imagine why it was so difficult for them (and even harder for those of us who have never seen Jesus, but still believe in Him) to grow in faith. Jesus performed miracles that contradicted natural law. People born blind don’t just regain their sight. Cripples were made whole and Jesus cast out demons. This was calling the apostles to question, “Who is this man, that even the wind and the waves obey his command.”

Peter would come face to face with this mystery when he asked Jesus, who was walking out to their boat in the middle of the night, to prove His true presence on the water by commanding him to come to Jesus on the water. Then came the command, booming over the surface of the sea, “COME”!

Peter gets to that place where he is sitting on the gunnel of the boat and must address all the emotions, thoughts and words coming from the other apostles. What was he thinking? Was he afraid, anxious, excited, expectant, trusting, believing or did he have all of those emotions and thoughts at the same time. My own experience tells me that the later is true.

It is in that moment when every person comes to a greater understanding of our free will and the abilities we have within it. Despite all the negative emotions of fear and anxiety about what (according to natural law) would happen, we are capable of applying God’s truth to every situation and choose to not live according to our emotions. Especially when, to live by them, we disobey God’s command. 

Then in a moment of great faith, he pushes off the gunnel and enters a free fall towards the water. In that moment Peter had no further recourse for “saving himself.” He was now completely under God’s care and provision. I liken that free fall to the “Great Quiet” between Good Friday Service and the Easter Vigil. During this time, everything stops and we can only wait with expectant faith for the resurrection and life. He made all things new.

To Peter’s utter joy and exhilaration, he lands on top of the water and knows that Jesus has the ability to sustain him on the water. As we look at the narrative, Peter allows himself to look at the tumultuous sea and begins to embrace the fear of drowning. He refocuses his eyes on the Lord and cries out for help. Peter must have walked a good distance toward Him because Jesus was able to reach out and grab his hand and pull him back up. Despite Peter’s amazing accomplishment in the new order that Jesus was establishing within natural law, he slipped so quickly into doubt by giving into the fear. I believe the Lord, who had taken full responsibility for Peter’s care, allowed him to sink in accordance with his faith. When Peter chose to stop believing, he sank. Thus, the Lord’s words of correction – “you have little faith.”

When he reengaged his faith in Jesus’s ability to sustain him on the water, Peter could walk with Jesus on the water back to the boat. So walking on water was only accomplished by the power of God when Peter’s faith was engaged and his emotions, that countered the truth, were overruled.

This is an entirely new way of operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. We have the potential to live in the power of God when true faith in God’s ability is chosen as a course action. St. Thomas’ rejection of Jesus resurrection is the classic example of this principle. We either choose to take the Lord at His word and actually live by it or we wait for the evidence of His word being true before we will engage our will to live according to it.

This is a rite of passage that every human must go through to come to authentic faith in Jesus. It is the place where we gain knowledge and understanding of God and his supernatural abilities. The disciple begins to learn that living in the life of the Holy Spirit enables the Spirit to operate supernaturally through us as we live not according to the emotions that would keep us inactive, but according to the truth of God.

Where do we begin?

Listen to the call – “COME!”

Trust in His call and provision.

Obey and go to where He is calling you to.