Hope and confidence!
Verse for Today: Friday, August 30, 2013
John 6:20 – But Jesus said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”
When the storms of life batter against our boats of life, it is natural that we become fearful and lose hope. Even when we try to row our boats for considerable time, it is likely that we do not reach the shore or get out of the storm. These storms of life come to engulf us and destroy our hope in life. All our human efforts prove to be futile in such circumstances. Our human strategies and the support of technology and expertise prove to be of no impact when these devastating storms beat against us. These are times when we crave for the presence of our Lord in our boats to help us out of the predicaments. But even after we row miles after miles, and as time ticks off, there seems to be no change in our situations and thus we plunge into hopelessness. Our eyes become dim and we become unable to recognize Jesus walking on the water towards us. We tend to forget the fact that our Lord who created waters and seas is victorious over all our circumstances. When the Lord appears in the middle of the storm, even His presence leads us sometimes to bewilderment rather than hope. But our Lord doesn’t give up on us. His voice comes to us in the midst of all the commotions to reassure us that He is near us and with us to take away our fears, anxieties and hopelessness. He showed the disciples that His very presence takes them out of the storms onto the shore of hope and strength. What the disciples didn’t realize was that even when Jesus was not physically present with them in the boat, His presence was with them in the boat and that there was no reason for them to be afraid and lose hope.
Dear reader, are you going through severe storms, mighty wind and rough seas of life lately? Is your situation trying to pluck you out of your foundation and taking away all hope in life? Are you afraid as to what would happen to you and yours because of your uncontrollable circumstances? Perhaps you are confronted with unprecedented health problems, financial difficulties, gossip, loss of job, business failures and loss, forsaking of friends and disobedient children. Are you being forsaken by your dearest and nearest ones for no fault of yours? But in all these situations, your Lord is with you to strengthen you. He wants you to look at Him and regain your lost confidence in life. He comes to you to show you that He has power over all your cumbersome situations. No matter how complicated your circumstances might be, Jesus will help you to overcome it all. Today Jesus wants you to look at Him and put all your hope and confidence in Him. Nothing will happen to you without His knowledge and permission. No external force, however powerful it might be, will have any authority over you because Jesus keeps you secure in His hands. He comes to your circumstance to take full control over it if you are willing to submit it to Him. When He comes into your situation, and enter into your boat of life, He will put all confusions in order and give you peace and rest. He will take you to the shore where the storms will no longer blow over you. Today He invites you to look at Him and put all your trust on Him to rest in His presence.
1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on Jesus because He cares for you.
Thought for Today
When Jesus takes control of our lives, He takes all our fears away and gives us hope in the most hopeless circumstances.
Prayer for Today
Dear Lord Jesus: Help me today to experience and enjoy Your presence in all my difficult circumstances and trust You to take away all my fears, anxiety and confusions in life. Amen!
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