Yes, Lord: Walking It Out When It’s Not Easy
Photo by Johannes Plenio
I used to think obedience would feel light. I thought saying “yes, Lord” would bring instant peace, or at least quick clarity. But some of the hardest seasons in my life have been the ones where I obeyed, and still ended up in the storm.
For me, obedience hasn’t always looked like a breakthrough moment. It’s rarely felt glamorous or easy.
It looked like selling our house when I didn’t want to, forcing my kids into new schools when stability felt safer. Walking toward callings I never pictured for myself.
Taking my hands off the steering wheel is an act of faith. But I can’t act like there isn’t a wrestle.
Some days I want to grab the wheel back.
Other days, I’m at least a backseat driver, whispering directions under my breath.
That’s why the story in Matthew 14 speaks to me so deeply.
Scripture says, “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side.”
They were exactly where He told them to be. They were obedient. And still, the storm came.
Obedience didn’t keep them from the waves. But it positioned them to see Jesus walk across the water—to experience His presence and His power in a way they never would have on calm seas.
And then there’s Peter.
In the middle of that storm, he hears Jesus’ voice and steps out onto the water.
For a moment, his eyes are fixed on Jesus, and he does the impossible.
But when he looks at the wind and the waves, fear takes over, and he begins to sink.
“You of little faith,” Jesus says, “why did you doubt?”
That part used to sting when I read it, as if Jesus were scolding Peter.
But now I see it differently. Peter was the only one who even tried. He may have doubted, but he also obeyed. He stepped out of the boat when no one else did.
And that’s what obedience feels like sometimes. Shaky. Imperfect. Full of questions. But still moving toward Jesus.
That’s what it feels like for me lately.
I don’t always have unshakable faith. I wrestle. I doubt. I grab at the steering wheel when I should be letting go.
But I’m learning that obedience isn’t about never sinking — it’s about knowing who to reach for when I do.
And maybe that’s the point. Obedience isn’t a one-time leap. I think we’ll have to keep stepping out of the boat over and over again — each time stretching our faith a little more, each time growing stronger in Christ.
Maybe you’ve felt that too.
You said yes to God, but instead of calm waters, the winds picked up. Instead of instant joy, it felt like loss, discomfort, or uncertainty. And you wondered, Did I hear Him wrong? Did I miss something?
You didn’t.
Sometimes obedience takes us straight into the places where our faith will be stretched the most. But it’s there that we see Jesus more clearly. It’s there that we learn He’s still Lord over wind and waves.
The truth is, obedience is costly. But the reward isn’t in everything going smoothly. It’s in getting closer to Jesus.
I can’t imagine the Bible without the story of Jesus walking on water.
I can’t imagine the disciples missing that moment just because they would have preferred comfort and calm seas, just because they didn’t want to learn to trust Him in a whole new way.
And I don’t want to miss what He has for me either. Even if obedience sends me into the storm, I’d rather be in the boat with Him than anywhere else without Him.
Scripture to Read
Matthew 14:22–33 — Jesus sends the disciples into the storm, walks on water, and Peter steps out in faith.
Hebrews 12:2 — “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Philippians 2:13 — “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.”
Reflection Question
✨What would it look like for you to take one step of obedience today, even if it feels overwhelming?
For me, it’s recognizing the fear I’m carrying as I step out of the boat. I need to ask Jesus to take that from me and stop trying to fake it until I make it.
Your step may look different, but whatever it is, He’s faithful to meet you there.
