Reading: Mark 6, Psalm 37:31

“The law of his God [is] in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.”

What would your life look like if God’s word was in your heart and readily accessible to you. Psalm 37:31 teaches that when God's Word is dwelling within us, it becomes a guiding force in our lives, leading us to walk in the power and wisdom of God.

We see this in action in the life of Peter. Part of the story is told in Mark 6, but the rest of the story is told in the Gospel of Mattew 14:22-33.

After a long day of ministry Jesus made His disciples get into a boat and instructed them to go ahead of Him, crossing to the other side of the Lake, while he dismissed the crowd. The scripture says,

“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. So before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Matthew adds this part of the story,

“And Peter answered Jesus and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water’. And Jesus said “come”. So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind [was] boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"

And immediately Jesus stretched out [His] hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33).

Peter dared to step out of the boat and walk on water towards his Lord. In that moment, Peter's identity as a follower of Christ was evident, guiding his actions and emboldening his faith. However, as Peter shifted his focus from Jesus to the surrounding circumstances—the wind and the waves—doubt crept in, causing him to falter.

This story highlights that our actions flow from our identity. Peter would not dare to step out on the water until He had a Word from Jesus. When Jesus said “come”, Peter stepped out focusing on the Word of God.

As long as Peter kept his focus on Jesus, his actions followed his identity as a disciple of Jesus - enabling him to accomplish the miraculous. Yet, when he allowed fear and doubt to distract his focus, Peter no longer had the word of God in the center of His heart and he began to sink. Like Psalm 37:31 indicates, his steps began to slip.

Similarly, when God's Word is in our hearts, shaping our identity and guiding our decisions, our actions naturally align with His will. Just as Peter's faith in Jesus' word enabled him to step out in the supernatural,, our faith in God's Word empowers us to walk above our circumstances and experience the promises of God.

In your journal today, reflect on a time when you faced a challenging situation and how your belief in God's Word influenced your response. Consider how aligning your actions with your identity as a child of God impacted the outcome of that situation. What lessons did you learn about the importance of internalizing God's Word and allowing it to guide your decisions?
Pray this to the Lord, “Father, in Jesus’ Name I boldly confess that I am who you say I am. Every promise you have made in your Word belongs to me. I will not live by a spirit of fear, but I will walk today in the spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind. I declare that your Word is working for me now.

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