Look To Jesus

 “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith.” – Hebrews 12:2

Today, we focus our attention on the gospel of Matthew 14:22-34. As we read, we learn that Jesus immediately makes his disciples go on a boat ahead of him to the other side. Notice, the word being used in the Scripture is immediately. And when did it happen? Right after feeding the five thousand people. The disciples didn’t have time to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening; they were immediately ushered into another phase of events.

Later that night, the storm arose, and the disciples had already covered some good distance from land. When all this was happening, Jesus was up on a mountain praying. The storm grew so strong against them, and they were buffeted by the waves.

Do you notice how sometimes a storm arises in our lives, immediately? Just when things are going very well, something happens immediately. Before we know it, we are deep into the storm, struggling to stay afloat and away from the safety of the land.

Very often, the kind of storms that we encounter in life come at us immediately. And when it happens, very often we tend to think that we are all alone. It is important to note that when caught in the storm, always remember that you are not alone. The disciples may have thought they were all alone at sea, trying their best to survive in the storm, but they forgot that Jesus was close by.

When we go through something difficult in life that is overwhelming, often we forget that Jesus is close by. We forget that the God whom we serve is Stronger and Mightier than any challenge or storm we may ever face in life. We are also encouraged in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” This is a promise that we can always hold on to each time we are faced with storms of life.

Just before dawn, Jesus came to them walking on the lake. As soon as the disciples saw Jesus coming, they got terrified, thinking that it was a ghost.  This was immediately met with encouragement from Jesus as he said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ – Matthew 14:27.

No matter what kind of storm you are going through right now, or the storm you are about to enter into, remember that you are never alone. Jesus is close by and has been with you in the boat in every storm, encouraging you, strengthening you, and comforting you as you go through it together with Him.

Whatever it is that you are facing right now may feel like you are being battered by it, but Jesus is telling you this: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ It is important that whenever we find ourselves in the middle of a storm, we can find the need to turn to Jesus in prayer. We can always come to Jesus in prayer and ask him to strengthen us as we go through the storm.

Peter, seeing that it was Jesus walking on the lake, he then boldly said, ‘Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.’ And Jesus said, ‘Come.’ We read that Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards where Jesus was. And in verse 30, it read ‘But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink,’

There are things worth noting here. The storm was still there, Jesus was still there, and the water was still there. So, what changed? Peter doubted. He took his eyes off of Jesus. Peter looked around at his circumstances and doubted, and began to sink.

So often, we fall only because we let doubt come in. It is because we let our eyes see only the problems, the closed door, the difficulties, and the impossibilities. When we do this, we become terrified, afraid, desperate, and hopeless. This is not how Jesus wants us to walk through the storm. Jesus wants us to walk through the storm as we fix our eyes on him. That’s how we can only become victorious each time we are faced with challenges in life.

Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to, ‘Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith.’ When caught in the storm, it is important to remember to fix your eyes on Jesus, who is right next to you in the very same boat that you are in.

When Peter began to sink, he cried out to Jesus, ‘Lord, save me.’ I believe this is an encouragement for all of us to cry to Jesus for help in prayer. No matter how much you try to figure out things on your own, you can never overcome a storm without Jesus; we all need Jesus in our boat. Peter cried out for help, and Jesus reached out immediately. This is the third time the word immediately is being used.

He cried for help, and instantly, Jesus reached out to help him. Sometimes, we may cry to Jesus for help, and the help may not come immediately. But I believe Jesus gives you the strength, the peace, and the grace to go through the storm and come out of it victorious.

And when the wind died down, all those who were in the boat started to worship Jesus, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’- Matthew 14:32. We are called to worship God, whether when going through the storm or after the storm. May we make it part of our lifestyle to praise and worship God at all times, not just when things are going well, but also through challenging times.

The Scripture about Jesus walking on water is something we need to remember each time we find ourselves in the storm. It reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus despite how chaotic the storm may become around us. When we are in the midst of something, our worship and praise to God should be constant, knowing that we are not alone; Jesus is with us in the boat. The promises of God should be our anchor of hope at all times. Our eyes should remain laser-focused on Jesus. He's our hope, as he said in John 16:33, 'I have overcome the world.'