Have you ever been so overwhelmed or scared that you can’t do anything at all? I want to be fully transparent with y'all. I find myself being overwhelmed a lot. I am a worrier, a stresser, and I get scared easily. When these things happen, it basically overtakes me. The past year has been one of the hardest years of my life. I was overwhelmed basically around the clock. There were multiple days that I could barely do anything. I was depressed and anxious and it truly threw me for a loop. What I was doing during all of that though was looking at my situation. I was looking at all the things that were happening to me and around me and I allowed myself to get knocked down. I allowed what was said to me and about me to knock me down. I allowed the hurt to repeat in my mind and I’d listen to the lies that the enemy would tell me. Here’s the thing, I was still reading my Bible and I was still praying, but I wasn’t putting all of my focus on the Lord during the entirety of it. That is where I went wrong. Instead of looking at the Lord and focusing on what He was doing during it all, I was putting my focus on the situation itself and how I was feeling.
Before we jump into the scripture I want to share; I want to give you a backstory to it. In Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus and the 12 disciples were in a huge crowd of over 5 thousand people. They had been preaching to these people for hours and no one had eaten. So they gathered up what they could (5 loaves of bread and 2 fish), and Jesus multiplied the food in order for everyone to eat until they were full; and there were still leftovers! Now, let’s imagine that you were in the heat for hours upon hours. You were talking nonstop and if you were Jesus, you were healing the sick and doing all the things for everyone. Imagine how exhausted you would be. This leads us to where I want to focus. Jesus and the disciples just finished preaching and feeding this humongous crowd, and now they’re leaving.
Matthew 14:22-33 says this, “Immediately after this (feeding of the 5 thousand), Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.”
This story starts out with saying that Jesus insisted that the disciples get into the boat and cross the lake. Other translations say that he made them, told them, and even constrained (compelled or forced) them to get into the boat. Why would he do this if there was going to be a terrible storm? He did it so he could show his power through it. He needed the disciples to once again see what He can do in the scariest and hardest of situations. He knew that it would cause their faith to build.
Preparing for this blog, I listened to a sermon that is over this particular story and I want to share one of the things that the pastor said. Pastor Bobby Chandler said that “Peace does not come from the absence of a storm, but from the authority of Christ.” The disciples were put in a storm to learn that even in the middle of it, there could still be peace. Now when you read the scripture, it doesn’t seem like there is peace aboard. But when Jesus enters the equation, peace comes quickly. When I would be in one of my dark moments, one thing that I would realize is that everytime I did put my eyes on Jesus, peace would enter my heart. My panic attacks would stop by speaking the name of Jesus and the dark moment would go away. Everything around me was still happening, but I only saw the Lord.
Let’s go back to where it says that Jesus insisted them to get into the boat. I am sure that they wanted to stay with Jesus and go where He was going. I could imagine the argument that would take place of them saying he needed protection around him. But Jesus made them get into the boat. I want to share one other thing that Pastor Bobby Chandler said. He said that “You can be doing exactly what Jesus told you to do, and still encounter a storm.” You could be doing the very thing that God told you to do, but it doesn’t mean that it will be easy. Going along with what I have been sharing about the past year goes right along with this. What caused my hard situation was me obeying what the Lord told me to do. And boy did I fight the Lord on it. I struggled for months to make my decision on if I was going to obey Him or not. It truly caused so much heartbreak within myself and those around me. But I knew that I could not disobey the Lord for me to stay comfortable and keep everyone happy. The Lord does not call us to stay in our comfort zone, but to step out of it. He does not call us to people please (I am so bad at this), but He calls us to please Him and only Him. And doing these may just cause a storm. The storm could be in your mind, in your heart, or even within your circle of friends and family. The storm could be in every area of your life. It may feel lonely and scary. It could be overwhelming, but I promise that He never leaves you alone.
When Jesus put the disciples in the boat, he went up on a mountaintop to be by himself to pray. I cannot stress this enough, you need to learn to get by yourself and pray. If you have a bad day, go pray. If you have a good day, go pray! Stressed out? Pray. Overwhelmed? Pray. Happy? PRAY! We (I’m speaking to myself here too) need to get better at praying all the time. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 literally says, “Pray without ceasing.”
I want to point out as well that Jesus went to a mountaintop. This mountaintop overlooked the entire lake that the disciples were on. So, Jesus was able to see everything that was going on. He saw the storm and the disciples in the boat. He saw what was going on, yet he waited to go to them. It says that the storm started around nightfall. Jesus didn’t go to them until about 3 in the morning. Sometimes the Lord will allow us to sit in the middle of the storm before he comes. Why? So that it will allow us to develop our character. It will give us the chance to put our faith into action. What would be the point of faith if we never used it? We have to grow our faith somehow, and sometimes it is through the storms that we go through. Storms can last a day, weeks, months, and even years. And each day, you have to wake up and choose to trust the Lord with your storm. You have to choose to put your faith in Jesus and believe that he is going to walk you through it. Not take you out of it, but take you through it. And even though you are sitting in the storm and you may feel like you are all alone, you’re not. The Lord sees you. And believe it or not, He is walking right beside you through it all.
It says that around 3 in the morning, the disciples saw Jesus on the water, walking towards them. Now, they didn’t really know it was Jesus, because he was too far away for them to tell. They actually thought he was a ghost. But Jesus called them and told them not to be afraid. It then goes on and says that Peter tells Jesus to call him to walk on the water if it was really Him. I can imagine Peter like, sarcastically saying this with some serious hint in his tone. And Jesus doesn’t miss a beat and calls Peter out onto the water.
I want us to imagine this scenario real quick. Let’s pretend we are in a boat. We just witnessed an insane miracle where Jesus multiplied food and fed thousands. We’re talking about it with everyone else and we are all just amazed. It’s probably a beautiful day out, with the sun shining and a clear sky. The sun starts to set creating a beautiful sunset and clouds start rolling in. We’re not sure if the storm will hit us or not, but we don’t freak out yet. Night hits us and there’s thunder and lighting all around us. The wind is starting to pick up and the waves are crashing the boat. The boat is rocking so much we can’t even stand straight. The waves are making us get soaked and this goes on for hours. And then you see a figure, walking on water. And you are only hoping that it is the one, true Jesus. And it is! Thank God! But then Jesus calls you to step out of the boat and walk on water. What would you do? Would you step out and walk? What about the waves? The rain? The wind? Would it push me over? What if I drown? What if? What if? What if?
So many times we focus on the what if that we fail to see what could happen. We want to go on a walk by ourselves. What if I fall or I get bit by a snake or get lost, or kidnapped? What happens if you enjoy your walk and spend some quality time with the Lord? What if I go to a coffee shop by myself and everyone is judging me because I don’t have anyone I can go with? What happens if you go and you meet a new friend because they saw your bravery to step out and get out of your comfort zone? What if I say something or do something that the Lord wants me to say, but it hurts someone I love? What if it brings healing between that person and the Lord or between you and that person? We miss out on life so much because we are too scared to get out of our comfort zones and do things, even if the Lord is calling us to do that. These scenarios are not even as scary as the decision Peter was facing but they’re examples of things that I struggle with doing every single day.
I couldn’t imagine the fear that Peter was facing, but I can see examples of my own life where I am scared of doing something. Some days I choose to follow through with it and some days I allow fear to hold me back. Peter though steps out of the boat amidst the high waves, the strong wind, and being poured on by rain. And he is only looking at Jesus. He isn’t looking at the situation around him. He isn’t paying attention to the storm that is happening, his eyes are on the one that controls the storm. And then it happens. Peter sees the storm, and he starts sinking. He immediately cries out “Jesus! Save me, Lord!” and Jesus grabs his hand and pulls him out of the water and into the boat. Jesus says, “Ye of little faith, why did you doubt me?” and the storm stops.
I can imagine Jesus saying to the disciples that he was right there with them the entire time. That he was controlling the situation, even when it felt like it was out of hand. And he is saying the same to you too. The Lord knows your situation. He sees you wanting to take the step of faith and He is calling you to do it. He is calling you out of your comfort zone and into a life of faith. Jesus is saying that he is right there with you, and He will walk with you through it all.
What I went through was hard. I was in and out of keeping my focus solely on the Lord, but He continued to walk with me through it the entire time. He held my hand in the loneliest of times and held me up when all I did was fall to the ground. My Lord was in the midst of my storm. And He is in the mindset of your storm too.
The last point I want to bring up is the last thing in those verses that we read. It says that the disciples worshiped Him. The Lord deserves our worship. He deserves our praise all the days of our life. But do we do that? Do we thank Him after we experience the protection that He gives? Do we praise Him for the goodness that He gives us? He is deserving of all we have.
Wrapping up, I want to ask a few more questions. What are you being led by? What are your eyes focused on? If I am honest, then I have to admit that I am led by my feelings a lot of the time. I allow my emotions to get the best of me and they can overtake me, fast. I find that when I am not focused on the Lord, when I am focusing on all that is going on around me, then that is when my emotions take over. But when I am focused on the Lord, then that is who is leading me. I have found myself praying more and more that the Lord would lead me. In those tense situations where I feel my emotions taking over; I pause, I feel what I feel about that situation, and then I pray that the Lord takes over so that my emotions don’t rule me. Doing this has honestly made such an impact in how I face situations and overall my days are better because of it.
I want you to be engaged with yourself this week. Take the time to look at yourself and find what your eyes are on and what is leading you. Are your emotions leading you like mine? If so, take a few moments when you feel your emotions rising and just say a prayer. Speak the name of Jesus over your situation and ask the Lord to lead you. Take into account where your mind is and what has your focus. I promise that it will change your outlook on things and life so much.
I am praying for you guys so hard. If you’re going through a hard situation and need someone to talk to, please feel free to inbox me. If you need prayer over anything at all, inbox me. I believe that the Lord is working on so many hearts and lives and is setting people free.
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