Don't Be Afraid
While Jesus was getting some alone time WITH His Dad (capital “D”), His best friends (disciples) got on a boat and went ahead. The weather quickly turned from bad to worse, and the wind and waves scared even the most experienced of sailors.
Matthew 14:24-27 - Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning[a] Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
“In their fear…” is a key phrase here. Obviously, I’d be peeing my pants too if I’m scared for my life and then some ambiguous form starts walking on water toward me. The visibility must have been terrible. Chaos, both internal and external, clouding the overall atmosphere WITH fear. The fear of being out of control. The fear of despair. Then Jesus…
Where do you feel out of control? In what area do you feel despair? Is it relational, physical, emotional, spiritual? Seriously, think about it for a second…
What if, in the midst of it all, we could hear the heart of Jesus speaking courage into our very bones.
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
Jesus is reminding them that He is WITH them in their chaos and at work through it all. “Don’t be afraid, take courage. I am here!”
The purpose of this whole 10000 MINUTES movement is for us to encourage each other to see Jesus in our everyday lives and put His heart and invitations into practice. This could be one of the most powerful of practices we embody.
10000 MINUTES Practice:
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Look for Jesus in all situations.
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Breathe Jesus’ words today (especially while in fear).
Breathe IN: Do Not Fear
Breathe OUT: For I AM WITH YOU
Text “10k” to “55678” if you want weekly text reminders to your phone. We’ll be sending out a few encouragements a week to help you practice Jesus all week long!