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Have you ever gotten lost? I remember when I was little; our family went to an amusement park. As we were walking through the throngs of people, I was holding on to my dad’s belt loop and looking around at all the action. I only let go of his belt loop for a second and reached up to grab the belt loop once more but it was a stranger that was in front of me. I looked around and couldn’t find my dad or any of my family. Needless to say it was a scary situation for me.
If we are not holding on to Jesus, it’s a guarantee that another will take His place.
So what happens when we take our eyes off Jesus? Jesus’ disciple Peter certainly found out. Starting in Matthew 14:22-23, “And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain to pray: and when evening was come, He was there alone.” As we get to know Jesus, we get to know the Father, also. Jesus prays to the Father before all the things He does. He and His Father have such a relationship, He describes it in this way, “That they all might be one; as Thou Father art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me” (John 17:21).
One of His disciples (who has been with Jesus for a while now) asked this question in which Jesus answers in John 14:8-11, “Philip saith unto Him, Lord shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith to him, Have I not been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.” This statement has so many aspects to it. Jesus is one with the Father and He is saying the Father is seen through Him.
Think about this, also. When we accept Jesus Christ, there is a marked change in us. People should see Christ in you. As Paul put it in Romans 13:13-14, “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” When we love the Lord, the change will happen because we want to please Him. It is hard to explain the love that pours out once you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. My hope is that you will find out.
As Jesus is praying, the ship is continuing on its journey, “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit: and they cried out in fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered Him 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 strong, he was afraid: and beginning to sink, he cried Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:24-30).
Fear can be such a debilitating emotion. Fear and doubt are Satan’s weapons that he uses against us. As a matter of fact, “Fear not” is used not only here in these verses here, but throughout the Scriptures. If we think about it fear can motivate us or keep us from being motivated. Fear can make us lash out at another or bottle us up when we need to take a stand. But the biggest thing is that it can keep us from the Holy Father and Jesus. Fear can separate us from Him. Revelation 21:7, 8 states, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things: and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” On a side note, did you catch that? There is no hell that a person is tormented forever and it says so right here (for more information click here).
So Peter gets scared and takes his eyes off Jesus, the only one who can keep his path steady and straight. The most wonderful thing about Jesus is that He will come after us when we take our eyes off of Him and will save us when we fall. “And immediately Jesus stretched fourth 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 14:31-32).
These two verses show exactly who Jesus is and what He is doing for us. We call out to Him, He reaches for us; and He calms the seas raging inside us. That is SO beautiful!