Day 7: Stay Focused

“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” - Matthew 14:30–31 KJV

We started this journey recounting how God bid Peter to come, and Peter got out of the ship at the word of God. He exercised his faith and stepped out on that which God spoke. The Bible says, not only did he step out, but that Peter actually walked on water. He defied the laws of gravity and what was known to be possible and did the impossible.

But something happened as Peter walked on the water. He took his eyes off Jesus and began to notice the wind. Both Mark and John’s account of this story indicate that the wind was blowing fiercely even before Peter got out of the ship. However, even though the storm was brewing and the wind was blowing, Peter’s initial focus was so fastened on Jesus that he was oblivious to his circumstances. However, when Peter took his eyes off Jesus, he got distracted by his circumstances. He noticed the winds and the storm. Peter lost his focus and became afraid.

Can you relate to Peter? God tells you to do a thing and you finally work up the courage to start. At first, you are excited because you are finally taking that step of faith. All seems well, but then you run into an obstacle. Something happens and you begin to see all that could go wrong. What initially seemed like a good idea suddenly seems all wrong. Fear and doubt set in and you begin to look for the quickest way of escape. You look for a retreat to the safety and comfort of your “boat.” Have you ever been there?

As you are on this journey pursuing that which you are called to do, know that there will be circumstances and situations strategically placed by the enemy to distract and discourage you. You must learn to stay focused and keep your eyes, mind, and your heart on the word that you heard from the Lord. For when you lose your focus, you are more susceptible to having your faith challenged by the distractions around you. Remember, there was no difference in the waves and the blowing wind from when Peter stepped off the ship to the time that he began to sink. The only thing that changed was Peter’s focus. Stay focused!

Reflection: Ask the Lord to continue to help to maintain your focus on Him during this journey. Identify things that you can do to help you keep your eyes focused on Jesus.

Prayer prompt: Dear Lord, I know distractions will come to try to discourage me and hinder me from that which You have assigned my hands to do. Help me to keep my eyes focused on You!

If you enjoyed this devotional, get a copy of the book by Rev. Ereletheia Allen: Walking on the Word: A 40-Day Devotional Moving from Fear to Faith: https://amzn.to/4nCIFf5.