 The
most powerful enemy of the Christian is fear. Fear is the one thing
which can most easily undermine our faith and overwhelm our desire
to serve and follow Jesus. We may have a loved one who is behaving
like a boor, but we won't confront him. Why? Because we are afraid
he will be angry at us. We may see payday loan shops littering our
town and functionally stealing from our neighbors, but we won't
challenge them. Why? Because we are afraid of what people will think
about us. We may want to change a bad habit that we have developed
but instead we do nothing. Why? Because we are afraid of what our
life will be like if it is gone. Fear dominates us and this passage
from John is all about fear; fear separating Jesus' disciples from
him.
As we encounter the world around us and deal with the consequences
of following Jesus we must admit that fear is something we must
resist. Jesus walked across the water in the midst of the storm and
said to the disciples, "It is I, do not be afraid." And if we listen
carefully we can hear Jesus saying these same words to us. "Speak to
your friend, I'll be with you, don't be afraid. Confront businesses
that are unjust, I'll be with you, don't be afraid. Change your
life, don't be scared, I'll be with you, don't be afraid." This
passage does not teach us that with Jesus there will be no storms in
our lives. To the contrary it prophesies them. But it does teach us
that in the midst of the storm Jesus Christ, our savior, is with us,
reminding us that there is nothing that life can throw at us which
is greater than him.
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Prayer: Holy God, still this storm in my life. Help me to
live unafraid and to follow you with boldness and confidence. Fill
me with a sense of your power and presence. I pray in Jesus' name.
[text from file received by, Phil Blackburn, First Presbyterian
Church]
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