Our guest speaker Pastor Marcus Bieschke (Willow Creek Community Church – Crystal Lake, IL) said this past weekend, “Everybody gets stuck.” We get “stuck” in our most important relationships: at home, at work, and at school. When we do, we need God’s help to get “unstuck.”
No matter how you define the word, Peter—a disciple of Jesus and an early church leader—was stuck. In a boat headed across the Sea of Galilee (at the direction of Jesus!), Peter and the disciples were in serious trouble.
They were caught in the middle of a storm, possibly several miles off course and their boat was taking a beating. They had done what the Lord had commanded and here they were, in an apparently hopeless situation, in the middle of the night, on a stormy sea.
As we begin 2017, we’ll look at what Peter does, and how Jesus responds, as Peter moves from “stuck” to “unstuck.”
Slowly read through today’s Scripture. As you do, place yourself in the boat with Peter and the disciples. Then, write down at least five words that describe their situation. What situation in your life, right now, would you describe with those exact words? With open hands pray a prayer similar to this, “Father, this is the situation in which I’m ‘stuck.’ I need your help to get ‘unstuck.’ Help me to trust you. Thank you, in advance, for what you’re going to do in this situation.”
