John 6:18-21 18A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
Hebrews 13:5-6 5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
As we have been looking at fear, there are reasonable fears. The disciples’ fear of the wind and waves were legitimate. There was another time when Jesus was asleep in the boat and a storm came. Winds and natural occurrences of storms can make one afraid of the unknown. Such winds on the seas were cause for respect and fear. They were fishermen and certainly knew how unpredictable waters, waves and weather that accompanied it were. They were afraid for their very lives. It is not a calming experience to be tossed about and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. The boat cannot be steered. The boat rolled back and forth. Took in water. They wondered if they would become part of the sea. The option is to ride it out and hope for the best, but there is a healthy fear of capsizing and dying.
They were also terrified because they all saw the figure of a man coming towards them on the water. They thought they were seeing a ghost. I will never forget when fear turns into hysteria. People go into shock, emotional unresponsiveness, faint, or experience uncontrolled actions. They cry out. It is a ghost! What else could come to them in the storm on the water without a boat?
When I was young, my dad was ill one night. If one had an upset stomach, he used a hot water bottle to soothe it. During the night, when he slept, it fell on the floor. My mother got up in the morning and walked to the side of the bed and stepped on it. She let out a blood curling scream. She imagined she had stepped on the arm of a man hiding under the bed. As we ran to the room, we realized the situation and we started laughing, but not my mom. She was shaken, and white, and sobbing. Panic had set in. I don’t remember her doing that before and that was a little scary. We gave her something hot to drink, she lay down, and Dad stayed with her and assured her nothing was wrong. That shock and terror needed not be, except was due to misinterpretation of the actual situation.
How much is the very thing that is our help are we afraid of, mistrust and misinterpret? Yet that is the thing that God allows in our lives. We need that word of encouragement from the Lord, to stand strong in His presence and remind ourselves who is in charge. We need the reminder of who loves us and will not leave us. Hebrews 13;3 says “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” or Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
They were not alone in the storm. Even when he was the shore, He had seen them and journeyed to be with them walking on the water.
How sad it is that people have never experienced the peace and presence of Jesus during their life storms.
Application: How often are we afraid of nothing? How often does our imagination run away with us, and we conger up all types of scenarios in our minds that are worse than reality? We think of the worst things which keep us from focusing on the most probable. Fear had taken control and Jesus shouted out to them “Do not worry. It is I.”
Prayer: Lord, help us to stand strong in Your presence and remind us who is in charge. Help us to be courageous amidst our fears, for you are with us wherever we go. We are so blessed to have the peace and presence of Jesus during our life storms.
Dale
