BE OF GOOD CHEER; IT IS I, BE NOT AFRAID.

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BE OF GOOD CHEER; IT IS I, BE NOT AFRAID.

In this world of man, there many things or events that can cause discomfort and fear. If it were not so, Jesus Christ would not have told his disciples not to be afraid. Jesus told his disciples in the book of John 16:33 , "In this world you will have trouble, But take courage! I have overcome the world."

With the Lord Jesus walking on the sea; one really wonders what informed Peter’s eagerness to seek to leave the ship where he was, to walk on the sea to meet with Jesus? Was it out of the excitement of seeing the Master walking on the sea? From the account preceeding his desire to leave the ship, there seems to be more to it than a mere excitement to meet Jesus. Jesus had ordered His disciples to get into a ship to go before Him to the other side, while he dispersed the multitude and he went up into the mountain to pray.

By the evening he was there alone and in the fourth watch of the night, the ship carrying the disciples was in the midst of the sea tossed with waves, because the wind was contrary. The disciples were already threatened by the contrary winds and suddenly they saw a being coming towards them, walking on the sea. They were all the more troubled; but Jesus spoke to calm their fears – “Be of good cheer; it is I, be not afraid”. You see! Jesus has answer to every situation.

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It was at this point Peter sought to leave the ship to walk on the sea to meet Jesus. It’s possible Peter became too scared remaining in the ship and he opted to take advantage of Jesus presence to get out of the ship. I feel every other disciple would have desired to get out of the ship like Peter sought, but for what they would have seen as a risky move, the presence of the Master notwithstanding.

If this dimension is anything to go by; with the travail of Peter when he began to sink due to fear and unbelief; was the step he took really worthwhile? The Lord had already sighted them in the ship and he was already on His way to meet them; was Peter’s move really necessary?

Are you in a situation you know God is fully aware of? Of course He knows all things! Perhaps you are on a path ordered by God and suddenly you are being instigated by fear and the hastiness of the flesh to do something that looks like a bail out: You need to thread with caution, because you may end up plunging yourself into a more difficult situation. You’ve been sighted by God, He has you graven on the palms of His hands and He is already heading towards your direction.

Stay calm in the “ship” divinely assigned you and help will meet you there. Don’t seek a short cut for yourself; short cuts turn out to be long and troublesome routes, full of regret. God’s eyes are not on you for the fun of it. God is up to something.

• If His Spirit bade you go from the onset, His Spirit will be there to sustain you.

Refuse to be presumptuous, refuse anything that will fetch you the applause of men at the expense of God’s setting for your life.