Peter: Trusting God in the Face of Fear
Peter: Trusting God in the Face of Fear
Think about this: what kryptonite was to Superman, fear is to our ability to trust in God. It paralyzes us, causing us to doubt God’s presence and His powerful promises for our lives.
In Matthew 14:22-33, after feeding the 5,000, Jesus tells His disciples to meet Him on the other side of the Sea of Galilee while He stays behind to pray. During the night, as the disciples were rowing to the other side of the lake, a powerful storm comes upon them, and they struggle to make any headway because the wind and the waves were so strong. Between 3 AM and 6 AM, Jesus comes out to them, walking on the water. “Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” The Greek words translated “it is I” are the same words Jesus used in the Gospel of John seven different times, identifying Himself as the I AM, a clear reference to Yahweh, the covenant name for God. Jesus was telling the disciples, “Do not be afraid, 'Yahweh' is here!” At Peter’s request, Jesus tells him to step out of the boat and come out onto the water and join Him. With his eyes on Jesus, Peter steps out of the boat and onto the water and begins to walk, but suddenly he takes his eyes off Jesus and focuses on the wind and waves, and in a split second, he is overwhelmed by fear and begins to sink. Fear robs Peter of perhaps the greatest blessing of his life, to that point, to walk on the water with Jesus. And fear will rob you, too!
Beloved, the moment you take your eyes off Jesus, you also will begin to doubt His presence and forget His promises. Sinking in the face of fear, Peter trusted in Jesus and cries out for help and Jesus saves him. If fear has you sinking in the storms of life, set your eyes on Jesus, trust in Him and His promises, and He will save you, too. You do not need to fear, Yahweh is here!
This is Laine Wilder for Carry the Light Ministries, bringing you Insights From an Elder.
by Laine Wilder
author of “Insights From an Elder” for
Carry the Light Ministries
