When You’re Sinking

“But when [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” Matthew 14:30 (NIV)

When I'm going through a storm, God is not distant or uninvolved. He is with me, and he is working in my life for my good. 

When I feel I'm sinking in a storm, here are five things God wants me to do:

Have courage, because Jesus is with me.
Don’t ever argue with a fear. Just send it straight to Jesus! 

Take a risk in faith.
Don’t ask God to bless what I are doing. Instead, do what God is blessing. Ask him what he wants me to do, and then be willing to do it with him.

Stay focused on Jesus.
The moment I take your eyes off the Lord, I'll go under. Matthew 14:30 says, “But when [Peter] saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’”  (NIV). If I focus on the wind and the waves—my circumstances—I'm going to sink, just like Peter.

Don’t doubt.
I don’t need great faith to make it through the storm in my life. I just need faith in the right person—Jesus Christ.

Praise God.
Even in the storm, even when I feel like I'm sinking, even when I'm scared to death—praise him all the time. Thanking God is how I make it through.

What storm is scaring me right now? What storm is sinking me? Why do I think God is letting me go through this storm?

He’s letting me go through this storm for the same reasons he sent the disciples into the storm. He wants me to know: He's all I need. I can handle anything. And I’ll come walking on the very thing that scares me the most. He is not asking me to come to him. He's going to come to me.”

If I feel like I'm sinking today, don’t fear. Just call out to Jesus. I'll find he’s with me.

In summary:

Matthew 14:30 reminds me that when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind, fear took over and he began to sink—just like I do in life’s storms. But storms aren’t signs that God is distant; they are opportunities to trust Him more deeply. In the middle of fear, uncertainty, or sinking moments, God calls me to take courage, step out in faith, stay focused on Him, silence doubt, and praise Him anyway. He allows storms not to punish me, but to prove that He is all I need. When I cry out, “Lord, save me,” He always comes to me—right on top of the very thing that once scared me.

Bottom Line:

When life’s storms make me feel like I’m sinking, I don’t need to have it all together—I just need to keep my eyes on Jesus and call out to Him, because He is always near and ready to save.