"And Peter answered him (Jesus) and said, 'Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.' And he said, 'Come.' And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous (rough or stormy), he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, 'Lord, save me.' And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?' And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased." Matthew 14:28-32.
I've been thinking about storms lately. Storms in the Bible often refer to the troubles and trials that come into our lives. Sometimes it seems like our entire life is just filled with one storm after another whether it's in the form of sickness, financial troubles, depression, or anything else that causes anxiety during our time here on earth. Now you may think, how does this relate to the passage above? It is a beautiful picture of what we need to strive to do during the hard times that come our way. Like Peter, we all tend to look around at our circumstances. And what does that accomplish? When Peter looked "around" on the circumstances, all he saw was the wind and storm. He focused on that and it caused great fear in him. So much so that he began to sink! Is that how we feel? Do we get afraid when we look at our circumstances and don't know how they'll turn out? Does it seem like that deep, paralyzing fear of the future is causing you to sink into despair? Friends, we don't have to fear. I know it's easier said than done, but we can overcome fear if we just let this passage teach us a valuable lesson. So Peter had already been walking out on the sea to Jesus. What was the difference? What made him not sink then? One key aspect: He was looking at Jesus. He wasn't focused on the wind and the storm raging around him. He had his gaze fixed on Jesus. We need to focus on Jesus during the storms and trials of our own lives. When we look on Him and see all that He can do and remember what He has done for us already, the circumstances seem to melt away and become dim. Our fear dissipates. The winds die down and cease altogether. And then we realize, it was only through Him that we made it through the storm unharmed and changed for the better. End of the month writing update: As of yesterday, I have started my first draft of "Their Hope" a 30 chapter love story set in Wildwood, NJ. I've hit roughly 3,750 words and I'm on track to take down another 2,500 before the weekend. I'm so excited to share this particular story with you! :) What it's about: An unexpected friendship, a broken heart, and a storm all threaten to inundate a nurse. Can she find an Anchor for her heart? (If anyone would like to see the book trailer I created, shoot me a comment below and I'll get it to you!) Coming soon! :)
2 Comments
Olivia Bell
6/26/2020 10:19:08 am
This was SUCH a good article! Thank you so much for sharing! :)
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Cathrine Dymond
6/28/2020 03:11:59 pm
Matthew 14 certainly encourages us to keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. When our thoughts are on Him we won't waver. Thank you, Carolyn.❤
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AuthorHi! I'm Carolyn, a writer seeking to glorify God with my words. Archives
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