Stepping Out Of The Boat

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

Imagine there He was in the middle of the storm. Jesus, standing right in front of His apostles, saying to them, “It is I, do not be afraid!” Then there was Peter, who looked at Jesus and the storm seemed to subside. To Peter all that mattered was that Jesus was standing there, defying all the laws of gravity and nature and even banishing fear. Peter felt his heart lift above the raging waves and he had the courage to step out of the safety of his boat and comfort zone and began to walk on the water towards Jesus. It was then and there that Jesus became Peter’s source of confidence and security rather than the boat. Even when he turned his gaze away from Jesus for a moment and began to sink into the water, he didn’t give up, he still called out to Jesus for His help. Because of his faith and his call for help, he was saved by Jesus.

Everyday our hearts and our thoughts are bombarded with what’s going on in the world around us. The waves of this world often crashing down on us. Whether it’s an illness, financial issues, relationship troubles or major decisions we might be facing, we're constantly weathering storms. But we need to remember Jesus remains the one and only constant in our lives. He sits at the right hand of God with all power and authority and along with that He loves each of us. As He stands watching over us he is filled with compassion. He has a plan for us, He lets nothing catch Him off guard. This is why when we lift up our hearts to Him, He reminds us of who He is and all He wants to do in our lives.

It is in these very moments of our lives that our hearts are strengthened by faith, just like Peter, whose faith allowed him to step out of the boat despite his fear of drowning in the savage waves surrounding him. It is in these very moments that we actually can grasp that Jesus really is right in front of us, always reaching out to us and reminding us of His awesome power. We were created to know Him, to be able to see Him face to face, and to hear His words.

Today, right now Jesus is still telling us “It is I, do not be afraid.” So, now is the time to respond to Him by picturing Him sitting on His throne, gazing at you with nothing but love and reaching out to help you in whatever it is that you need help with. Do not be afraid to step out of your own boat or comfort zone and ask for His help.

“Jesus, I want to know You more. I want my heart to be so sure of You and Your love that I can look above the waves in my life. Lord, You are worthy of my trust!”

Note: Do you know how many times we are told not to be afraid in the Bible?………365 times. One for each day of the year!

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