Jan's Ponderings

Matthew 14:28-29 says, "And Peter answered Him and said, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water'.  So He said, 'Come.'  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus."   Some people say Peter was acting out of his impulsive nature while others say he was acting out of his faith and devotion to Jesus.  I think it is a little of both.   Peter was being impulsive because he had obviously not thought it through carefully because when he did, his faith faltered but his faith, although imperfect, is evident in that he trusted that it was Jesus and that Jesus had the power enable him to walk on the water.  Peter recognized that he was not the one in charge of water-walking...God is!  We all have a calling and God is the One who calls.  We cannot choose our calling so how do we know what our calling is?  First, we must recognize that we are a...

Regarding our spiritual growth, if we will risk our possible brokenness and failure, our faith will grow.  Our faith is like a muscle which needs to be exercised and fed in order to grow!  Peter chose to step out of the boat and because he did, he has walking on water to put on his resume'.  Peter's faith may have faltered, but the others who chose to stay in the boat were the real failures because they chose safety over growth.  How about us?  Are we willing to risk stepping out of the boat?  If we will not, then we risk stagnation and an unfulfilled life full of regrets.  There are a couple of questions that are worth taking a few moments to really consider.  When I get to the end of my life, what will be my biggest regret?  And, what can I do so that doesn't become a regret? Matthew 25:14-30 is the account of the parable of the talents.  Before a man left on a long journey, he decided to distribute his goods to t...