Scripture Study: Walking on Water

Matt 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.  

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

I have been thinking a lot recently about the state of our Nation. If I dwell on the sinful nature of all the events that have been taking place, I truly can feel what it means in the scriptures to sorrow over the sins of the world. At times, it feels heavy and burdensome, and yet we are commanded to not fear, but be believing. To have faith.

The other day, I read the above passage in Jesus the Christ. I pictured the image of the stormy sea. I saw the Lord walking on the water, and I felt Peter's desire to join our Lord. In my mind's eye, I pictured Peter walking out to meet Jesus. I imagine that he, in awe, walked out upon the sea, perhaps wondering how he was able to do so. The waves grew around him and the wind was so boisterous that his faith, which had had power to utilize the laws of nature, wavered. In fear he cried out for Jesus to save him. 

James E. Talmage draws symbolism on this image, and that of our Savior's ability to save through the atonement. To expound on that imagery, and to add some of my own, let's liken the boisterous sea to that of our trials, or in my case sorrow for the sins of the world. At times, they can seem all-encompassing, consuming our strength and our courage. But, with great faith, we become the master over our sorrow, or our trials. Faith is power. Our faith keeps us buoyant, it keeps us afloat. It strengthens us against the storms of the world. As we fixate our eyes, our hearts, and our faith on our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can be purified through our trials. But we were never meant to go through them alone. And, that is the key. Because faith is a God-given gift, it brings us closer to Him. As we draw nearer to Him, we recognize His ability to save us so that when our faith wavers, we will cry out to Him. I heard a quote once, I don't know who said it, but I liked it. It says, "when you feel as though you are drowning in life, don't worry, your lifeguard walks on water".