There is a story in the bible about one night when Jesus' disciples were out on a boat and Jesus went into the mountains to pray. A storm brewed up and they got scared. They saw someone walking on the water towards them and they were afraid because they thought it was a ghost. But, Jesus called out to them and told them not to fear. Peter told him that "if it is really you, Lord, tell me to come to you by walking on the water" and Jesus said, "all right, come". So, Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking on the water towards Jesus. He was doing just fine for a while, then he took his eyes off of Jesus and let fear begin to well up inside of him because the storm was fierce and the waves were so big! As soon as he did this he began to sink. Peter cried out to Jesus begging Him to save him and immediately Jesus reached out his hand and saved Peter. Then they climbed back into the boat and the wind stopped and they all worshiped Jesus. (Matthew 14:22-33)
How many times have we lived a scenario much like this one in our own lives? I know that there have been many times where my faith was strong and I followed Jesus without fear or question, but, as things got "rough" I let doubt enter my mind and quickly began to "sink", too. But, like Peter, every time I cry out to Jesus, He takes my hand and delivers me safely where He would have me.
Trusting in what you cannot physically touch or see can be very difficult. Throughout my life, though, God has proven to me over and over again that He is faithful. There should not be any room for doubt in my walk with Him. He has proven Himself to me more than once by His mercy and His grace. Mercy is God's compassion and Grace is God's love~ neither of which any of us have earned or deserve! He is just that good and love's us that much!
Just as in this story, every leg of our journey is not going to take place under clear skies. God's will can and does take us through very scary terrain and circumstances. But, as long as we keep our eyes focused on Him, we are going to be fine. We have His power on our side. And life is not much more than our journey to heaven (or hell). The setting and characters are constantly changing. We have new goals and new obstacles along the way. But, the destination is always the same. We just have to keep our eyes fixed on the prize!
"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires." Psalm 37:3-4
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
"For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory." 1John 5:4
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