Jesus told his disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side of the lake, while He was sending the people away. After Jesus sent the people away, He went to the mountain to pray. The disciples continued to go to the other side of the lake, but while they were on the way there, there was a powerful wind that was slowing them down. It was already at 3 am, and they were still in the middle of the lake, so Jesus decided to pass them by walking on water. As he was getting closed to the disciples, the disciples did not recognize Him, and they thought that he was a ghost. They were terrified, so Jesus told them that it was Him and that they needed to take courage and not be afraid. Then Jesus joined them in the boat, and the wind stopped. They were utterly astonished at everything that had happened.
When Jesus told them to go to the other side of the lake, He knew that they were going to face a strong wind and that they would struggle to go to the other side. He was going to use this situation to show them His mighty power. There are situations in our lives that Jesus will allow us to go through difficult situations so that we can experience His mighty power in our lives. The natural tendency in reacting to our difficult situations is to be afraid, but Jesus is always with us. It is often in the time of our struggles that we experience His power in our lives.
I remember when the Lord called me to be a missionary in the Philippines to teach at a small Bible college for five years. I had to quit my good-paying career and sell everything that I had in order for me to move there. I also needed to raise support to provide for my needs. I was very concerned about raising support because I did not know a lot of people at my church, and I was very shy to ask money for support. However, in the midst of all my fear, the Lord spoke into my heart and said, “Take courage; it is I that I am sending you.” I knew then that no matter what happened to me that He was going to take care of me, and He did while I was there. It was the best time and the most adventurous experience in my life because I was able to experience His power in and through me.
When God asks us to do something that may scare us, always remember that He will be there for us, and He will take care of us. We need to trust Him and take courage to face our challenges because through His power, we will overcome our challenges.
Ask yourself these questions: How should we respond if God is asking us to do something that is difficult for us to do? Is there anything today that God is asking you to do and you are very reluctant to obey? why? What do you think will happen if you obey God anyway?
Write down all the worries that you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, thank you that you are always with me, and that you are always there to help me. Please help me not to be afraid, but have the courage to face my struggles because you are faithful. May you bless the rest of my day and please help me with (mention your prayer requests). In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.