Faith in the Night

"And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." - Matthew 14:24-27

Why is it that problems always seem bigger in the middle of the night? In the hours between the days, our fears loom larger and burdens grow heavier. Your mind seems to reek havoc on your entire system, sleepless night, imaginations, your heart is about to come out of your chest….

It was between three and four o'clock in the morning when the disciples fought the storm on the Sea of Galilee. In Matthew 14 we hear about how their imaginations whipped around like a wild wind. And just when the storm was taking them under for the last time, Jesus walked by—on the water! Crazy!

Just look at their response.

"And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

Why do you doubt? He asked him. I'm right here.

We painfully identify with the disciples' fear. When we're out here on our own, our hearts become filled with fear. Overwhelmed by circumstances, we forget who You are. You're God. You're in control.

Our Christian life is a life of faith. In faith you can say, God has made some promises and I believe Him. I don't always understand His ways, but I trust Him. He's in charge. This is a difficult path to walk but as we venture out in faith, to trust HIM in all HIS ways is the key. Faith is stepping out in the dark, knowing HIS hand will be there to guide us.

God has given you some assurances so that you can walk by faith while you're waiting for Him to work. You don't have to take your view your life from what you see happening right in front of you. Living by faith and holding onto God's promises gives stability and strength to life.