Matthew 14:24-27
‘But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”’
The disciples were afraid and Jesus tells them to “Take courage”. For some reason it strikes me as odd to be told not to be afraid when one is afraid. For me words don’t seem effective to change my emotional state.
This reminds of Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” God told Joshua that Moses was dead and He was going to lead Israel in taking the promised land. We don’t know that Joshua was afraid outside of God giving him this charge.
What are we to learn from this? While I’ve said words have little effect on my emotions, they can based on who is talking. Some have the power to change things. A person in authority can have power to effect change. God is certainly powerful enough. If He says not to be afraid, we can rest assured that we don’t have to be afraid.
Some don’t take God’s words seriously as He’s invisible. To a degree I understand that. I’ve learned to believe Him. It takes faith. Hebrews 11:1 gives us a good definition of faith, “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.” If we have faith we are assured and certain that God will do what He says. This helps lessen our anxiety. We know He will bring us through. The anxiety doesn’t vanish, but under control.
We often imagine the outcome hoped for. Sometimes it turns out that way, but not necessarily so. We trust Him to resolve it as He chooses. That’s another trait we need to develop. Trusting Him for the outcome. Ecclesiastes 3:11a says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” It’s not bad to have expectations, but it can lead to disappointment. Moderate our expectations. His way will be beautiful. We need to learn to appreciate how He resolves things.
We show that appreciation by thanking Him. This is a demonstration of faith to praise Him. We praise Him at the conclusion, but also in the moment when we might feel fear. Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Ask for His help and trust Him to follow through. Praise Him.
This is great as praise is the opposite of fear. I’m reminded of Joshua encircling Jericho. The priests were out front singing praises before the battle. That’s to be our attitude.
Thank You, Lord, for Your charge for us to take courage. Those aren’t empty words, but comfort to us who are having a difficult time. Thank You.