Going Deeper: The Fulfillment of God's Presence in the Storm
In Matthew 14, the disciples are caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the night — straining at the oars for hours and getting nowhere. Then, in the darkest hour before dawn, they see something impossible: a figure walking toward them on the water. Terrified, they cry out, thinking it's a ghost, and are relieved to find its Jesus.
This moment isn't just a miracle. It's a revelation of who God is; and what it looks like to walk with Him.
The Glory Passes By While the Storm Still Rages
Jesus wasn't waiting for the storm to end before He appeared. He walked directly into it. God's presence isn't reserved for calm waters. If you're in a storm right now — exhausted, straining, getting nowhere — you are not alone in it. Look for His glory there.
How This Fulfills the Old Testament
Mark’s account of this story tells us Jesus "meant to pass by" the disciples. It’s the same phrase used in the Old Testament when God reveals His glory to others in crisis:
God's glory passed by Moses at Sinai, but Moses could only see His back (Exodus 33).
God's glory passed by Elijah at Horeb, but Elijah covered his eyes and saw even less (1 Kings 19).
In both stories, Moses’ and Elijah’s vision had to be obscured because flawed humanity can’t handle the pure presence of a holy God. But Jesus — God in human form — brought God’s presence to us in a way we can encounter and be transformed by it.
What was once veiled and kept at a distance is now walking toward us in the flesh, fulfilling the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:24–26: the Lord's face shining on His people, turned toward them, giving them peace.
Jesus wasn’t leaving the disciples to face the storm alone. He was revealing His glory to them, showing them exactly who He is: the God who walks on chaos. ️
The Glory Shines — You Are Invited to Walk with It
Jesus doesn't just show the disciples His glory; He invites them into it. He calls Peter out of the boat to walk with Him. Relationship with Jesus has never been about observation; it's about participation.
The storm the enemy intended to distract you from your King is where God wants to meet you and transform you.
Walking on Water Was Never Just About Having Enough Faith
It's tempting to read this story as a lesson in trying harder to believe — if Peter had just had more faith, he wouldn't have started sinking. But that misses the point entirely.
Peter began to sink the moment he looked at the wind instead of Jesus, and Jesus rescued him anyway. The miracle was never about the size of Peter's faith; it was about the strength of the hand that held him regardless.
Trade the exhausting effort of trying to manufacture enough faith to stay afloat for trusting the God who walks into the chaos and holds on when you can't. Your security was never about the tightness of your grip, but about the strength of His.
In Christ, you are safe, because He will not let go, but if you let go, He will catch you.
This post is inspired by this week's message of our "Stories That Shape Our Faith" series and the corresponding chapter from Dr. Jody Ray's book of the same name.