Walk ON the Waves

Melissa Logsdon – October 14, 2025 3 Comments

I’ve got a lovely little community at my infusion center. Due to how often I’m there, I get to know other patients and the staff quite well. It’s pretty neat to see how God works through those relationships. This week, as per my usual, I began to chat with the patients around me. The lady sitting next to me lost her husband of 50 years. As she was sharing about her grief, the patient across from me started to engage in the conversation. As it turns out, he knew of her indirectly. Apparently this lady’s husband’s friend had asked his church to pray for her and her family. And this patient, a local pastor, was able to let this lady know that his church had prayed for her and her loss. God was able to use this moment to encourage all of us, bringing us comfort and connection where we were feeling lonely and hurting. It was a holy moment in the midst of us all hooked up to iv poles!

Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” –John 11:25

In the midst of the storms,

in the midst of the waves crashing about us,

Jesus invites us to come to him.

…the disciples… ran into trouble, for their boat was tossed about by the high winds and heavy seas. At about four o’clock in the morning,  Jesus came to them, walking on the waves!

…Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” 

Peter shouted out, “Lord, if it’s really you, then have me join you on the water!”

 “Come and join me,” Jesus replied. 

So Peter stepped out onto the water and began to walk toward Jesus.

 But when he realized how high the waves were, he became frightened and started to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he cried out. 

Jesus immediately stretched out his hand and lifted him up and said, “What little faith you have! Why would you let doubt win?” 

And the very moment they both stepped into the boat, the raging wind ceased. 

–Matthew 14:24-25,27-32 TPT/NRSVUE

There are other times where we hear of Jesus calming the waves. Interestingly, in this moment, Jesus invited Peter to join him out on the water WHILE the winds continued to rage. Later, Jesus calmed the winds. But, in THAT moment of the storm raging, Jesus invited Peter to abide in Jesus’ presence ON the waves!

So often we only pray for the waves to be stilled.

So often we believe that IF Jesus is going to call us out onto the waters, that it’ll at least be still water to walk over.

AND YET…

We see the waves still raging, the winds still roaring, and in that moment, we see Jesus appear to us and invite us out ONTO the waves into Jesus’ loving, faithful, powerful presence.

Jesus has been using these lyrics to invite me to lay aside my fears and doubts and take Jesus’ hand in faith to get through the storms: 

When your fear is currency

And you feel that urgency

You want peace but there’s war in your head

Maybe that’s where life is born

When our façades are torn

Pain gives birth to the promise ahead, yeah

If you could only let your guard down

If you could learn to trust me somehow

Well I swear, that I won’t let you go

If you could only let go your doubts

If you could just believe in me now

I swear, that I won’t let you go

I won’t let you go

–“I Won’t Let You Go” by Switchfoot

In the moments when we, like Peter, keep our focus on Jesus’ presence and not on how we will survive the storm, well, in those moments, we get to walk on the waves with Jesus. May it be so!–Melissa Logsdon, NCF Associate Pastor