“But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:27).
TEXT — Matthew 14:22-36
Message
According to W.H. Griffith Thomas, faith rests on God, receives from God, responds to God, relies on God, rejoices in God, and reproduces His life and character. There are no better times to see God’s greatness than when His people have challenges. As in the passage today, He never comes late. He is the very present help in days of trouble. Troubles herald divine intervention. The supernatural and extraordinary happen when men are at their wits’ end.
Today’s passage presents unique faith-lifting and exciting episodes. In the short fifteen verses, we see Christ’s command to His disciples to cross to the other side of the sea. We also see His tarrying after dismissing the multitude to pray as well as the commotion on the high sea and the timely intervention of Christ, whom the disciples assumed superstitiously was a spirit, walking on the sea. They were, however, comforted when the Lord assured them it was He. Finally, we see the adoring worship of Christ by all the ship occupants.
Peter stepped onto and walked on the sea at the command of Christ but began to sink when he removed his gaze from the Lord, the Author and Finisher of our Faith. He allowed fear to replace faith when he saw the turbulence on the sea, and defeat followed. Faith does not act by feelings or sight but leans on and lives by the word of God. What matters to a man of faith is what the Scriptures say. When, as believers, we shift our gaze from the Lord, we sink in despair, frustration, and confusion. The greater One lives in us, and there is no need to fear the devil, his cohorts, sicknesses, storms, or waves.
While we are not immune from trials and challenges, we have the assurance of triumph through righteousness and faith in God and His Word: “…whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (1 John 5:4). If we walk by faith, our fears will disappear and we can smile through the storms of life.
Thought for the day
When you feed your faith with God’s word, you starve your fears to death.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Good morning sir, I need daily mana for 2025 complete
Good morning sir, I need daily mana for 2025 complete