Fear does not have the final say

In John 6, we find a well-known passage of the disciples caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Prior to this incident, Jesus had spent time with the multitude, teaching them. However, when the crowds wanted to make Him king, Jesus sent the people away. Jesus wanted to climb a nearby mountain to be alone and in prayer, so sent his men ahead of him on a boat to the other side of the nearby sea. Being God, Jesus was aware of the impending situation that the disciples would face.

Matthew 14:24 relates the same story, saying that the disciples’ boat “was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.”

The disciples were a long way from shore, and in their minds, a long way from Jesus. It’s interesting that Matthew says the disciples’ ship was “buffeted.” Translations show that this actually meant “tormented,” which is used regarding demonic affliction. What Matthew tried to depict was the wind causing waves to torment the disciples on the boat.

This happens to us in life. There are storms we have to go through, but they do not all come from the same place. There are storms of correction – such as the storm Jonah went through – and there are storms of perfection – such as the aforementioned storm the disciples were found in.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to the disciples by walking on the lake (Matthew 14:25). He chose to do this in the darkness, which was between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. This is reminiscent of Genesis’ first verses, where the Spirit moved over the water in the darkness. To me, this is a demonstration of God’s power – Jesus walked on the water in the midst of a storm, revealing Himself as God. However, His disciples did not see it this way.

“When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear (Matthew 14:26).”

This is a perfect example of how our fear can distort our perspective of God. The disciples were so fearful, they yelled out. While it’s not a bad thing to be fearful of circumstances we find ourselves in, we have three options of what to do: we can flee, hide, or fight.

Some fear is good. Fear can keep a child from burning his hand in a fire, and keeps adults from driving like maniacs on the road. Fear can help us remember our limitations.

However, fear can also be paralyzing and destructive, binding us when we should react. Fear keeps us from trusting the Lord.

When Jesus saw His disciples in fear, he called out to them saying, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

These reassuring words – don’t be afraid – are found 366 times in the Bible. God wants us to be of good courage, especially in the face of fear. We must be willing to fight.

Nehemiah 4:14 shows an example of this: “After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.’”

God shows us time and time again that He is with us, and promises to take care of us. In Isaiah 43:2, He promises “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Peter demonstrated that he was willing to fight through his fear when he said, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” He asked Jesus to command him and help him to walk by faith instead of sight.

Remember, faith isn’t belief because of evidence; faith is obeying in spite of the consequences. We are able to obey God, despite what might happen.

But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down (Matthew 14:30-32).

As humans, it’s important to know that we will all have a moment of doubt when we step out in faith. However, it is even more important to remember that when we do have that moment of fear, we should cry out to God for help. When we do so, Jesus will stretch His hand out and catch us.

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