Thoughts for another day

Sept. 20, 2011

Today's verse: Mark 6:50b. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Half our lives or perhaps even more are filled with fear.  Sometimes even when we have nothing to fear, we're filled with the fear of having fear!  Such is our nature and we love, in a negative way, fear; with someone coining the term, 'fear is the key'.

Early dawn one day, Jesus was walking upon the ocean towards the boat in which His disciples were, intending to pass by when they spotted Him and thinking they had seen a spirit, they cried out.  They were simply terrified and Jesus sensing their utter fear, moved toward them and said, 'Take courage, it is I, don't be afraid.'  Now there was nothing wrong in them being fearful you might say for anyone would be scared isn't it?  But then these men were not anyone.  They were His chosen disciples, retained by Him and instructed by Him to go and preach the Gospel and you will find in Mk. 6:13 that they even drove out many demons!  Then what happened when they saw Jesus walking on the sea?

The answer is relatively deep, but to simplify it, I would just say that they were not fully with Jesus; for a man fully with Jesus cannot be afraid.  In the Gospels we get many glimpses where the apostles weren't fully with Him because of which they acted like other ordinary men with Peter even denying Jesus.  In our times we see people doing all kinds of things that betray their lack of companionship with God; they may look to be strong but are weak and can be written off for they make things other than God their priority.  Yet, God understands and just as Jesus at that time encouraged them, He will encourage us today, when He sees our deathly fright…But yes, He will ask, 'Why are you scared, you of little faith?'