“Jesus spoke to them at once, saying, ‘Take heart! It is I! Do not be afraid’ ” (Matthew 14:27).

“I’m . . . sinking!?!” With the wind whipping up waves around him on that dark night, Peter’s focus suddenly shifted. Rather than look at Jesus standing on the water, he saw the waves. Fear gripped his heart and mind. What moments before felt firm suddenly gave way. The stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee closed in as Peter began to sink. With nothing for him to grasp, fear turned into terror. “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30).

Drowning in doubt

In a sense, we’ve been there, haven’t we? When the waters of trouble just cover your feet, it’s no big deal, but when they rise to your chin, everything changes. Fear sets in. At that point, any wave, any trouble, can easily crash over your head and overwhelm you. With nothing to grasp, fear becomes overwhelming terror, confusion, or uncertainty. All you can do is cry out for help: “Lord, save me!”

Now we might think there’s no reason we should be out there drowning in a sea of life’s troubles. After all, week in and week out, Jesus comes to us through his Word and Supper to feed our souls. He provides peace and forgiveness, confidence and trust, grace and hope, healing and life. Jesus calls us to keep our eyes on him even as he sends us out to live out the holy callings he gives us.

But sometimes serving Jesus can be hard. We struggle to keep our eyes on Jesus. Stress, worry, and anxiety return with a fury. Fear robs us of sleep. Loneliness, weariness, and conflict set us up for a fall. Uncertainty leaves us worried, while brokenness leaves us wondering how we’re going to pick up the pieces. Guilt leads to shame and more guilt. Before long, we can see only the wind-whipped waves, with our trust in Jesus reduced to fear and doubt. “Lord, save me!”

Powered by peace

We wouldn’t blame Jesus for letting Peter sink beneath the stormy waters. After all, Peter had failed to keep his eyes on Jesus. But what did Jesus do? “Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ ” (Matthew 14:31). Essentially, Jesus said to him, “Why didn’t you keep your eyes on me?” Jesus rescued Peter and silenced the noisy fury of the sea. All the disciples could do was confess, “Truly you are the Son of God!” (Matthew 14:33).

When life is overwhelming, Jesus stretches out his nail-scarred hand again and saves us.

We wouldn’t blame Jesus for letting us sink either, but Jesus is neither cruel in his righteousness nor helpless to save. When life is overwhelming, Jesus stretches out his nail-scarred hand again and saves us. With love beyond all measure and power everlasting, Jesus pulls us out of those life-consuming waters and restores our faith in him. “Keep your eyes on me!” he tells us as he guides us back to the safety of his grace.

But won’t we be overwhelmed again? The winds and waves of life will try, but see the Son of God climb into the boat next to you with all the peace, power, and grace he can provide. Then hear the noise stop. See the winds calm. See the fury become peace. See Jesus, the very Son of God, here with you. Keep your eyes on him.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, keep my eyes fixed on you when life is calm and when I am surrounded by troubled waters. Amen.

The Scripture references used in this article are from the Evangelical Heritage Version.

Author: Jeremiah Gumm
Volume 113, Number 06
Issue: June 2026