On Stormy Seas

They were three or four miles out when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” John 6:19-20

The night was dark. The wind was blowing. The waves threatened the little boat in which the disciples traveled. They were hanging on for their lives.

Having grown up along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the disciples were accustomed to storms rising unexpectedly. The fishermen in the group were used to the rigors of the sea. But this time it was different.

In the midst of this terrible storm, Jesus appeared to them—walking on the water. At first, Jesus’ presence increased the disciples’ fear. They did not expect him, and they had never seen anything like this. They thought they were seeing a ghost. But in the middle of a stormy sea of fear, Jesus called out, “I am here! Don’t be afraid.” He calmed the disciples’ hearts and showed them that he was more powerful than the storm.

Jesus wants you to know that he will come to you in the midst of life’s struggles, and he wants you to know that he is more powerful than even the mightiest storm. One of the most important truths God will teach you is that Jesus is bigger than the struggles in your life. His presence may scare you at first. He may surprise you at a time when you are so focused on your own struggles that you are tempted to look right past him. But when you encounter him and he speaks to your heart—“I am here! Don’t be afraid”—you will never be the same again.

Next time you are caught in life’s stormy seas, look expectantly for Jesus to meet you where you are, and depend on his power to calm your fears and anxieties.

Lord, teach me that you are bigger than any struggle or storm I will ever face.