Scripture:
Joshua 1:9 (NIV) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Matthew 14:27-29 (NIV) 27 “But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ 28 ‘Lord, if it’s you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ 29 ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”
Commentary:
The Christian life isn’t supposed to be comfortable; it isn’t supposed to be easy. So where did we get that idea? What makes us think that faith should be convenient? When we look at the life that Jesus lived, we see how high the standard is set; we realize that we don’t have an excuse to not try. If it were easy, faith would be pointless. We wouldn’t grow. Faith takes courage. Countless times in the Bible, God’s people were told to be courageous. In those times, they put their trust in God and the plan He had set for their lives. In the scripture above, Peter put all his faith in Jesus, so much so that he walked on water. How cool is that? Was Peter acting courageously? In a way, yes. What happened when he began doubting? He sank instantly.
In Peter’s case, the boat was his safety, his comfort zone. He’s out in the middle of the ocean. Walking on water wasn’t logical in his mind. However, Jesus had something else in mind. He wanted to teach Peter something. Now, how can we relate it to our lives? Maybe our “boat” is our job, relationship/friendship or our current relationship with Jesus Christ. We’re comfortable (maybe even content) with where we’re at. This is not how we’re called to live as Christians. We need to be living by faith.
I’m not saying this is easy or pleasant. Believe me, I’m still working on this. I feel like I get caught up in providing for my own needs, as if I know myself best. I don’t know what the next hour will hold, let alone the rest of my life here on earth. But, I’m working on it. It’s a process. Try and live courageously. Put your faith in the One who has already planned your entire life. You won’t regret it! Your relationship with your Heavenly Father will change. It’ll change with others around you. It’ll change they way you respond in situations. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” All of Hebrews 11 is dedicated to courageous people in the Bible. They lived in faith. It’s so important to God that we live that way, He wrote a whole chapter on it! Read through that this week. Pray that God will give you opportunities to act in faith and be courageous.
Devotional Author: Nicole Presley