Take Courage!

In Matthew 14 we read of the time when Peter left the safety of the boat to come to Jesus on the water. After Jesus had fed the five thousand, He

sent the disciples ahead of Him by boat to cross over to the other side. Jesus then dismissed the crowds, and He was still there on land when evening came.

By this time the disciples were already some distance away from land. Jesus later came to them walking on the water during the fourth watch of the night, or sometime between three and six in the morning. When the disciples saw Him approaching the boat, they were afraid, thinking that they were

seeing a ghost. At this point Jesus called out to them saying: “…Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27).

Peter then replied to Jesus, saying that if it really was Him, then let Him command him to come to Him on the water. Jesus then told Peter to come to Him, and Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus on the water. But when he saw the wind and the waves around him, he became afraid and began to sink, and he cried out to Jesus to save him. Jesus then immediately reached out His hand and caught Peter before he went under the waves and perished, and He said to him: “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).

When they got back into the boat, the winds and waves subsided.

Having witnessed these events, those who were in the boat worshipped Jesus and acknowledged that indeed He was the Son of God.

During the storms of our lives when the winds of adversity buffet us and we become afraid, Jesus calls to us saying: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Therefore let us take courage, and let us not doubt when God’s word tells us that everything He allows to touch our lives is working together for our eternal good and glory (Romans 8:28).

Whether our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ reaches out His hand to sustain us through our present troubles in life, or whether He reaches out His hand to take us home to glory, deliverance for all who believe on His name is assured. David encouraged us when he wrote:

To You they cried out and were delivered;

In You they trusted and were not disappointed. (Psalm 22:5)