AFRAID? FOCUS ON JESUS

Matt. 14:25-29a  About three o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water.  When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost.  But Jesus spoke to them at once, “It’s all right,” he said, “I am here!  Don’t be afraid.”  Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you by walking on water.  “All right, come.” Jesus said.  NLT

       Has life ever frightened you, really frightened you?  Usually we get scared the most when the unexpected happens and we think we are in danger.  Circumstances can really overwhelm us.  We get ourselves into situations that we can’t handle and we imagine the worst.  We don’t see any way that it can be good and we get scared of what might happen.  It causes us to pull back or run away from our circumstances.

       Yet, there is Jesus.  For those of us who know Him, there is nothing to fear.  His very presence reassures the soul and calms our fears.  When we fix our thoughts and hearts on Him, there is a peace that takes over and enables us to put things in their proper perspective.  Instead of seeing the bad that might be, we see the good that is. 

      When we fixate on the Lord, we begin to see ourselves as able to do what we thought was impossible.  We no longer fear what is going on around us, we step out boldly where we have never stepped before.  No matter how stormy things may be, with our eyes fixated on Jesus we can handle them.  It’s when we take our eyes off the Lord and look at the storms and what we are trying to do that we begin to sink and drown. 

       Jesus bids you to step out into the stormy waters and take His hand.  Trust Him and you will overcome.  You can do it because the Lord says you can.