But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” ~Matthew 14:27 (NIV)
We all go through dark and difficult times. Sometimes the storm rages on and on with no letting up until we are so full of fear and anxiety and hopelessness that we think we might either cave in or go under. That’s where the disciples were when Jesus came walking to them across the stormy waters. He was actually walking on top of their problem. The one that they were thinking they wouldn’t make it through. All of that worrying did two things: it robbed them of their peace and faith, and it deferred their hopes. The bible teaches hope deferred makes the heart sick. The longer we wallow in our fear and worry, the longer the storm rages in our minds. You can have peace about a terrible circumstance right smack dab in the middle of it, when there is no end in sight, if you will put your hope in God and remember that it doesn’t matter where you go (or wind up)…He is already there! Trusting God isn’t always easy, but it is a prerequisite to true peace and rest. Jesus said do not be afraid. That is because fear drives out faith and when our faith is depleted, we see less and less of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We trade our joy, peace and patience for worry, anxiety, and stress. We must keep our faith up by keeping a steady stream of God’s word going into our heart. We can do that by managing our thought life. Believe it or not, if you aren’t living by faith in the promises of God, then you aren’t reminding yourself of the promises of God often enough!
It's interesting to note that Jesus told the disciples before the storm came to get in the boat and go to the other side of the lake. In Matthew 14:22 the bible tells us "Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while He sent the people home" (NLT). The disciples were right in the middle of the Lord's will when their trouble came. That ought to make us all feel better since the first thing we usually hear, whether it's from the enemy, our friends or even our own family, is that our troubles are our own fault. It’s time we quit trying to figure out why we or those we know are dealing with a storm and start trusting God in the middle of it! Trials and tribulations are a test of our faith, and we are called to hold each other up, not judge each other, in the midst of them. Do you have a storm going on today? Do you know somebody in the middle of a storm? No matter what that storm is we can take comfort in the fact that Jesus is walking on top of our troubled waters too. It might be bigger than you, but it is not bigger than Him. Get your eyes off your circumstances and get them on your Lord. When we do this, just like Peter, He will bid you to come out and walk above those problems with Him. You are born to overcome everything life throws at you because you are a child of the Almighty God!
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ~1 John 4:4 (NIV)
What troubled waters do you need to walk on top of with Jesus today?
Write an answer
Write an answer
Comments