Mark 6:49-50 but when they saw him
walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out because
they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and
said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
One of the exciting qualities of this story is that Jesus gave His
disciples the recipe for courage. We increase courage by knowing God and
choosing to trust him. Many times, we think of courage as the absence of
discomfort, but it is about choosing whom to trust amid discomfort.
The disciples initially think Jesus is a ghost. It is nighttime,
and a figure is walking across the water. They’ve fashioned fables and
stories to explain what is occurring before their very eyes. We sometimes
follow the same course; we are confident that when trouble arrives, it is the
end. We are sure there is no coming back from this circumstance. We are so
ready to be afraid. and to give up. We are prepared to adopt the false
perspectives clanging around this world.
Jesus offers an alternative; He encourages His followers to “take”
courage. How? By knowing the truth and trusting in Him. We get our courage from
the presence of Jesus. He is offering us an alternative way that is not the
world’s way. It is only possible through trusting in his
identity and knowing the truth of God’s Word. The former verses say that
Jesus planned on walking by them to the other side of the lake. However, he
stops and gets in the boat to comfort his disciples. His presence is the
wellspring of our courage in the most challenging circumstances. Did the Lord
know that a storm would blow up in the middle of the night? Yes, he did, He is
omniscient and knows everything. Knowing what would happen, he sent them
into the storm because he was going to test their faith.
The disciples got in the boat, not knowing what would happen, and
headed for the other side of the sea, and Jesus went into the mountain to pray.
Although he was on the hill, they were on the sea, eight miles across. They
never left his mind or sight; he knew where they were and what they were going
through. Sometimes, we think the Lord doesn't know what we are going through.
The storms seem so strong, the temptation is so heavy, and the problems are so
severe that God certainly doesn't know where we are or what we are going
through. However, God has promised us that He will never leave or forsake us.
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