When God Parts the Waters: Faith for Impossible Situations

Have you ever wondered what possessed the apostle Peter to think he could walk on water?

In this episode of the Confidence in God podcast, host Julie McGhghy explores the deep roots of Peter's bold faith — and what it means for us when we're caught between a rock and a hard place.

Peter's faith didn't come out of nowhere. It was built on a rich heritage of God's miraculous works: Moses parting the Red Sea, Joshua leading Israel across the Jordan, and generations of God's people passing down stories of His faithfulness. When Peter stepped out of that boat, he was standing on centuries of evidence that God makes a way where there seems to be no way.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Peter's faith to walk on water was greater than his moment of doubt
• How the stories of Moses and Joshua are part of your heritage of faith too
• How to encourage yourself in God when your enemy is pursuing you
• How to trust God's promises even when you can't see how they'll come to pass

Whether you're facing an impossible situation or holding on to promises from God that haven't yet been fulfilled, this episode will build your confidence that God will make a way — even one you've never heard of or could ever imagine.

Episode Timeline: Total Time 13:26

| Time | Section 

| 0:00 | Introduction — Welcome to the Confidence in God podcast
| 0:11 | Peter's Bold Moment — The story of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14:22–33)
| 1:01 | Episode Focus — What will we learn, and why it matters for your faith
| 2:27 | Where Did Peter's Faith Come From? — His years walking with Jesus
| 3:36 | The Power of Heritage — Faith built on more than personal experience
| 3:53 | Moses & the Red Sea — God parts the waters (Exodus 14)
| 6:26 | Joshua & the Jordan River — Crossing into the Promised Land (Joshua 3)
| 7:19 | Rahab & the Spies — Even other nations believed in God's power (Joshua 2)
| 8:30 | Application — Part 1 — When you're facing an impossible situation
| 9:52 | Application — Part 2 — When God's promises feel delayed
| 10:30 | Closing Promise — Isaiah 43:1–3, "Fear not, I have redeemed you"
| 11:34 | Summary & Encouragement — Recap and call to faith
 

Transcript

0:00

Hello, and welcome to the Confidence in God podcast. I am your host, Julie McGhghy, and our goal today is to help you walk with confidence in God. Have you ever wondered what ever possessed the apostle Peter to think he could walk on water if only Jesus would call him to do so? He had never seen such a thing before. You can read about it in Matthew 14:22-33. There, Peter was in a boat being tossed about by the strong winds, and either a ghost or Jesus was walking toward him. In the midst of this scary situation, Peter suddenly thinks,"Aha, if it is Jesus coming to us, all He has to do is call me, and I'll be able to walk on water just like He's doing." I don't know about you, but for me, that's a bit of a leap of logic to go from being scared of a ghost to thinking,"Hey, this is my opportunity to walk on water." Today, we're going to consider what it really was that possessed Peter to even think of that option. And doing so, I hope to enhance your faith for those times when you feel like you're caught between a rock and a hard place, and there is just no way out of the situation. Or when you have received promises from God some time ago but haven't yet seen them fulfilled. In both situations, you can call upon that same faith that Peter had to be confident that Jesus will get you through your difficult spots in life and fulfill every promise He has made, even going beyond the imaginable. I know Peter gets a lot of flak for his lack of faith because after he stepped out of the boat and was walking on the water, he began looking at his scary situation and began sinking. Even Jesus said,"Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt?" But I want us to focus on the faith Peter did have. He had faith enough to step out onto the water once Jesus called him with that very simple command:"Come." Instead of looking at the short moment when Peter's faith faltered, I want us to focus on several moments when Peter's faith soared. From where did Peter get the idea that he could walk on water if only Jesus called him? Where did that faith come from? At the time of this event, Peter had been walking with Jesus for about three years and saw the many miracles He had done during that time. Peter was even a part of the 70 disciples Jesus commissioned to go into the harvest of souls, preaching"the kingdom of God is at hand" and healing the sick, which we read about in Luke 10:1-9. Peter was one who reported back to Jesus with great joy that"even the devils are subject unto us through your name" in Luke 10:17. Peter certainly knew that at Jesus' call, he could do whatever Jesus commanded him to do. But to walk on water? That's not something Peter had ever seen before. Whatever possessed him to ask Jesus to call him to walk on the water and to have the faith to step out of that boat once Jesus called him. I tell you today that it wasn't just what Peter himself had seen or experienced. But what he knew to be true from the years of hearing the history of the Jews and what God had done for them. Hearing and believing. Let's first consider Moses in the Red Sea, which you can read about in Exodus 14. Like Peter, who was in the boat on the Sea of Galilee in the rough waters because he had followed Jesus' instructions, Moses and the children of Israel were standing between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army chasing after them because they had followed God's instruction. Although Moses had great faith at that time, the children of Israel weren't so sure. They focused on the 600 chariots Pharaoh had pursuing them and became afraid and cried out to God. But Moses assured them that God was going to save them, saying in verse 13,"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again." Moses had never seen God part waters of a sea before. He hadn't even received the instructions of how that was going to happen yet when he assured the children of Israel that God was going to save them. But by speaking in faith to the children of Israel, listening for the instructions of God, and following those instructions, Moses led the children across the Red Sea on dry ground because God had parted the waters for them. God saved the children of Israel from their enemy that day. And Israel saw the great work God had done both when He parted the sea so they could walk across on dry ground and when He closed the sea upon Pharaoh's army, destroying every one of them. Then the children of Israel believed God and Moses. Why did this matter when Peter was standing in a boat on a rough sea and asked Jesus to call him to walk on the water? Peter was a Jew, although a common Jew, not one of great education. But according to Psalm 78:1-7, all of the generations of the Jews told of the mighty works of God to the generations that followed them. Peter knew God had parted the Red Sea for the children of Israel and had destroyed Pharaoh's army. That was a part of Peter's heritage that helped him stand in faith on the rough sea that day. The stories of Moses and God parting the Red Sea weren't the only stories that formed Peter's faith. Joshua was born a slave in Egypt. He knew firsthand the oppression of Egypt, and he witnessed God's deliverance by the parting of the Red Sea. So as Joshua was leading Israel into the Promised Land and faced the Jordan, he had the faith to listen to God's instructions and follow them. We can read all about it in Joshua 3:1-17. God gave Joshua and the people of Israel specific instructions. The children of Israel believed and obeyed. They saw the waters of the Jordan part so they could cross on dry ground. Not only did Joshua and the children of Israel gain great faith in God's works through the experience of God's parting the Red Sea when Moses led them, but even the people of other nations heard and believed in God's power to deliver Israel. Before Israel passed over Jordan, Joshua had sent spies into Jericho. Rahab, who was a harlot, not an Israelite, hid them and made a covenant to save them in exchange for the safety of her family, according to Joshua 2:1-21. The people of Jericho were scared of the children of Israel because of all they had heard about how the Lord had dried up the water of the Red Sea for them when they had come out of Egypt, and how they had destroyed the two kings of the Amorites. The stories of God's works are powerful among the children of God and everyone else who hears of them. Having witnessed the parting of the Red Sea under Moses's guidance, Joshua and the children of Israel had faith that God would part the Jordan for them. Once God instructed them, they obeyed, and God made a way for them to get to the Promised Land. This too had influenced Peter's faith that day on the Sea of Galilee. So what is the purpose of this word for us today? First, today we saw the children of Israel being pursued by their enemy. We saw them being very frightened and calling out to God. Although Moses had no idea how God was going to save them from their enemy, he knew God would. When you find yourself in a seemingly impossible situation as your enemy pursues you, encourage yourself in the Lord just as David did in 1 Samuel 30:6. And remember, God made a way for His children to escape the enemy. It was a way that no one had ever seen before or even thought about, yet God did it. He parted the waters and made a way of escape. You too are a child of God if you have entered into salvation with Him. Therefore, the history of the Jews are not just stories in the Bible to teach your children. They are your heritage too. Stand on them and believe. God will make a way for you to escape your situation. It may even be a way you have never heard of or could even think about or imagine. And ultimately, He will destroy the enemy of your soul who is tormenting you. Next, we saw God parting waters for the children of Israel to get to their promises. If God has promised you things that you don't see how those promises could ever come to pass, remember Joshua and the children of Israel. Listen for God's instruction. Follow it. God will make a way for you to receive those promises. Whether they be promises written in His Word or promises spoken to you in prayer or by spiritual leaders, His promises are true, and He will make a way for you to receive them. Let me conclude today with a wonderful promise spoken over God's children in Isaiah 43:1-3:"Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." What a wonderful promise to God's people. He has redeemed us. We will not be destroyed through the hard times we encounter. We can apply this promise to ourselves when we walk in relationship with God through salvation offered by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can claim this promise of God's presence and protection. We have nothing to fear. There's a whole lot of information wrapped in this episode. If you feel like you are caught between a rock and a hard place and there is just no way out of the situation, or if you have received promises from God some time ago but haven't yet seen them fulfilled, please call upon that same faith that Peter had by digging into God's Word to remember how God works beyond our own ability to foresee how. And be confident that Jesus will get you through your difficult spots in life and fulfill every promise He has made, even going beyond the imaginable. If you are struggling because you just don't see how God is responding to your prayers, please click on the link in the show notes to obtain the resource title, How to Have Confidence in Your Prayer Life. Just click on the link and then click on the resource. It is freely and immediately available to you. That's it for today. I hope you found this episode helpful. If you did, please take a second to subscribe to our show so you'll be notified when future episodes come out. It will also be helpful if you would share it with your friends and loved ones, as well as rating or reviewing our show. That way, more people can find out about it. I would really love to hear from you. Let me know how God is building your confidence through His Word. I so appreciate those of you who have contacted me with your prayer requests. Please know that I pray for you daily. If you need prayer, please reach out to me and let me support you in prayer. Until next time, let's be confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.