This morning while reading the book of Matthew I was encouraged to keep my eyes on Him. You may be asking how does The Perfect Storm and keeping my eyes on Him coincide. Read Matthew Chapter 14; actually read all of Matthew; okay what I really mean is OPEN YOUR BIBLE and read, meditate, and study this beautiful story. Sorry, I just had a moment...I am a lover of His word.
Ok, so Matthew 14 has several parables...stories that help us as believers understand how Jesus is in everything, yes He is in your day to day and He uses daily occurrences to reveal Himself to us. John the Baptist had just been beheaded by the request of the New Testament Jezebel and the disciples had removed his body. You really have to go and read the chapter because the son of Herod did not want to kill him, but he made an oath to his use to be sister-in-law now wife...this seems like a soap opera...but this is the Bible...Herod made a promise to his step-daughter (use to be step-niece...I can't help myself, unpacking it all helps me to make deeper connections.). Herod keeps his commitment to killing John the Baptist. The disciples remove the body and go and tell Jesus what happened. Fast forward...Jesus then dismisses the crowd and sends the disciples ahead of him in a boat. forecastHere comes The Perfect Storm...
The disciples go ahead and some of you may know the story...the seas and winds are wild, and I am sure that when Jesus sent them He knew the weather forcast. Jesus goes to the mountain to pray. Now while He was not with Him he was still thinking and praying for them; He is a great intercessor.
Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus is aware of the storm. I wonder if He began to sense their fear, and sense the level of thier faith to survive the storm. I wonder if He sensed some who may have been saying "He sent us ahead of Him...Why didn't He come with us? Did He send us out here to die? ...sound familiar? Not the case at all; He knows the end from the beginning. He sent them knowing this would be The Perfect Storm...a storm to demonstrate power, show them their level of faith in Him, increase their revelation of who He is, and draw them closer to Him in worship. This is sooo good.
Ask yourself again...How does The Perfect Storm coincide with keeping my eyes on Him?
The storm creates the opportunity for Him to demonstrate His power. His power to save of which leads them to worship; and increase their faith.
Don't be afraid of the storm!
Jesus starts to walk towards them...hmmm...they are in the sea...in a boat...and He starts to walk towards them...oh yeah, this is where He walks on water. The disciples see him and they think he is a ghost (the irony is that Herod thought the same in previous verses...the ghost of John the Baptist). I wonder if the Disciples thought the same?
Peter was the only disciple to ask to walk on water...to do what Jesus was doing. It was only when he took his focus off of Jesus and paid attention to the element...the rough water that he began to sink, but...but...but Peter knew enough who to call on..this is The Perfect Storm! Peter activated the faith he had (little is better than none at all), he knew to call on the one who could save him, Peter was an example for the other disciples who were watching...I imagine with their mouths wide open. Jesus saves the day again and then verse 33 says "Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
We could really go a little deeper and talk about Peter...his personality...some would say the least likely, yet he was the one to try and do what Jesus does.
The Perfect Storm has the power to reach those that feel forgotten...unworthy...keep your eyes on HIM!
