Freedom From Fear
There is a lot we could be afraid of, but God doesn’t want us to owned by fear. The Bible talks alot about fear and one of my favorite times is found in an account that we can read about in Matthew 25:22-33. It’s the account of the disciples being sent out in the boat by Jesus right after they had witnessed Him feeding the 5,000. He then tells them to “Immediately” get in the boat and travel to the other side of the lake. But a storm rises up and seems to put them in harm’s way and it’s a big enough storm to bring these seasoned fishermen much fear.
In this story we see some important principles about dealing with fear in your storm:
Principle #1: V.22…“Jesus has put me here.” It was while they were doing what Jesus told them to do that they ran into a fearful situation that they desired freedom from. They were in the perfect will of God and also in a perfect storm. In other words, obeying God can sometimes lead to tough sailing.
Principle #2: “Jesus is praying for you.” V.23 tells us He went up the mountain to pray and He was there alone. This is called Intercession. Jesus’ full-time job right now sitting at the right hand of the Father is to intercede for me and you. Why does Jesus need to intercede for you and me? Jesus is fully God and He is fully Man. He knows what God is talking about and what Man is going through.
Principle #3: “Jesus will come to you.” V.25… “And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.” He’s praying for them, now He’s coming to them walking on the water. Wasn’t the water the big problem here? Jesus came to them “walking ON their problem!” Jesus came to them on top of the very thing that was causing them fear.
You’re in a tough situation…hang in there because He knows you’re there, and that the waves and wind are beating up your boat. Hang in there because He’s praying for you and your situation right now that you won’t lose your faith. Hang in there because He’s coming to you in a way you may have never seen Him before, and He’s walking on top of your problem!
Ultimately, Jesus wants you to discover that He is the Son of God and bigger than you ever thought…bigger than any storm you may be in, even when you’re in a situation that is bringing you fear. He wants to bring you Freedom From Fear!
