“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” ‭‭John‬ ‭10:27‬ ‭KJV‬‬
We, who are believers in Christ, know His voice and we follow Him. We go where He leads us by His voice. As Peter did when he stepped out of the ship and walked on water. He could not see the Lord but he did hear His voice when He told Peter to “come”. Peter was lead by the voice of Jesus to step out and to come. We know Peter doubted because he saw the boisterous winds even though he knew he heard the voice of Jesus tell him to come. He stepped out because he heard Jesus, not because he could see Him. He sank because he allowed his eyes to cause doubt when he looked at the winds that came against him, instead of simply listening to the voice of Jesus.
Just as Peter, when our Lord speaks to us, we should just go and obey His voice. For when we are truly His sheep we know our Shepherd’s voice. We don’t need anyone to tell us we already know just as Peter did. He didn’t doubt stepping out. He doubted when he looked at what was closest to him, the wind. How did Peter see the boisterous wind when it was the fourth watch of the night and he couldn’t see Jesus? Think about how dark it had to be. Was the moon shining to give off light? What about the stars? Or was it to stormy, boisterous to see anything? Was the fact that he felt the wind blowing against him? He allowed the violence of the wind cause doubt about the voice he heard? Did he start to listen to the words of the disciples who may have said what are you doing?, when he stepped out? Did they say, Who are you to be walking on water with Jesus? Peter sank because of doubt, doubt within himself, doubt in what he heard, doubt in the fact he was just a man. Peter’s fear over took him and he cried out to Jesus, who saw his doubt and immediately pulled him up. Peter realized he couldn’t walk without Jesus.
Lord Jesus, I hear You. I know You’ve told me to come and I know I need to obey Your voice. I need not to look at the boisterous wind around me, telling me I can’t do this when I know I’ve heard You.