Jesus Walks on the Sea
Matthew 14:22-33 (NKJV)
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
I love the humanness of this parable because it illustrates how even the disciples at one time were fragile in their faith. Jesus, our quintessential teacher used every opportunity to teach the disciples. Today, Jesus continues to teach each of us through our circumstances and the people in our lives. Jesus never takes a day off.
We can learn great lessons and realize God’s plan for us if we keep our focus on Him and not allow ourselves to be distracted by the turbulence in our lives. So how do we keep our eyes on Jesus?
Pray continually. When we pray we have a more acute awareness of God’s presence in our lives and it will help us to stay focused on Him rather than on all of the things in life that steal our joy. The best thing we can do when we feel overwhelmed and distracted by life, is to stop and pray and refocus our energy on Him.
Read His Word. Even if we only spend 15-30 minutes each day reading scripture it can have a profound affect on our perspective and put us at peace as we go about the business of each day.
Surrender. Surrendering all of our concerns to him is the ultimate form of trust. When we surrender, it means that we release ourselves from destructive thoughts and activities like worry, stress, anger, unforgiveness and insecurity. It is in our best interest to let go of our grip on these things that over time can destroy us spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. Not only is it toxic to us but eventually this destructive energy will take a toll on our relationships with others.
Keep Childlike Faith. Never give up on your aspirations or on Him. God always keeps his promises. It just may take a little longer than we would like, but He is a faithful loving God and expects us to be the same. Childlike faith is the purest form of trust. It means standing before him with our eyes and arms wide open, accepting him at his word with no doubt or fear.
Hang with Other Christians. There is nothing like community to bolster the spirit and fill us with love and confidence. We are not alone in our struggles and they are not unique to us. Holding hands with other Christians helps us to keep our flame of faith burning brightly.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
We can learn great lessons and realize God’s plan for us if we keep our focus on Him and not allow ourselves to be distracted by the turbulence in our lives. So how do we keep our eyes on Jesus?
Pray continually. When we pray we have a more acute awareness of God’s presence in our lives and it will help us to stay focused on Him rather than on all of the things in life that steal our joy. The best thing we can do when we feel overwhelmed and distracted by life, is to stop and pray and refocus our energy on Him.
Read His Word. Even if we only spend 15-30 minutes each day reading scripture it can have a profound affect on our perspective and put us at peace as we go about the business of each day.
Surrender. Surrendering all of our concerns to him is the ultimate form of trust. When we surrender, it means that we release ourselves from destructive thoughts and activities like worry, stress, anger, unforgiveness and insecurity. It is in our best interest to let go of our grip on these things that over time can destroy us spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. Not only is it toxic to us but eventually this destructive energy will take a toll on our relationships with others.
Keep Childlike Faith. Never give up on your aspirations or on Him. God always keeps his promises. It just may take a little longer than we would like, but He is a faithful loving God and expects us to be the same. Childlike faith is the purest form of trust. It means standing before him with our eyes and arms wide open, accepting him at his word with no doubt or fear.
Hang with Other Christians. There is nothing like community to bolster the spirit and fill us with love and confidence. We are not alone in our struggles and they are not unique to us. Holding hands with other Christians helps us to keep our flame of faith burning brightly.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
As Christians, we are unstoppable. Check out this YouTube video for a boost! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5-Cqpa09zM
I have heard this list before but never with the offer of surrender. This was a very significant change to my path this week and can only be done with a child like faith. We must hold on. The Father is at work. Daniel in the lions den, Noah building an ark for before the world had ever seen rain, Joseph in jail for 15 years....we must hold on, our Deliverer is coming.
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