Thursday, September 11, 2014
Matthew 14:25-27 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But 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 heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
TAKE HEART
It must have seemed long to the disciples. They had followed their Master's command, and gone out in the boat, but now they were far from land and struggling against the wind and waves. The hours passed, and they were making no headway. Do you think they wondered if they had made the right choice in listening to Jesus?
Dawn was approaching, and they must have been tired. What good did the miracle of the loaves and fish do them now? Jesus was not even with them. How could He ever help them now? Do you think any of them were praying for help? Perhaps, but when the answer came, they didn't recognize it. They thought He was a ghost, out to harm them, and they were terrified!
But Jesus did not leave them out on the sea alone. Nor did He come to terrify them. At once He called out to them. How often do we fear God's answer to our prayers, as though His cure might be worse than the disease, might be to our harm. It is not so. The Word calls out to us: "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." "I am with you always." The Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep will certainly not desert us now.
