Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Matthew 14:27, NIV).
While they were crossing the lake, a huge storm arose (Matthew 14:23). Early in the morning, and in the middle of the storm, Jesus went out to meet the disciples, walking on the lake. When the disciples, who were in the boat, saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. They assumed it was a spirit coming toward them, and they cried out in fear. Immediately Jesus told them not to be afraid. That’s when they recognised that it was the Lord.
It was their own fault that the disciples were in this situation because Jesus had told them to wait for him (Mark 6:45). But instead, they had set out without him (John 6:16-17). Despite this, the Lord had come to save them. They would never have been in that position if they had simply done what Jesus had asked them to do.
Like the disciples, so many of the storms in our lives are of our own making.
But when we have Jesus as our friend, he never leaves us to face the consequences of our decisions alone. He comes to us in the midst of our storms, and once he gets back into the ‘boat’ of our lives, he knows how to calm our storms, and bring us safely to the other shore.
– Eliezer Gonzalez (Inspired by Ritchie Way)
Eli’s Reflection: Was there a time when you made a bad decision and had to go through the storm as a result? Were you a follower of Jesus? Were you alone? Did Jesus calm the storm?
Article supplied with thanks to Dr Eliezer Gonzalez.
About the Author: Dr Eli Gonzalez is the Senior Pastor of Good News Unlimited and the presenter of the Unlimited radio spots, and The Big Question.