There are times I feel on a drought, as if no matter where I turn to, I still find no answer to what I’m looking for. It feels like being stranded with no assurance of what’s about to come next. Have you ever felt this way? When I feel this way, I to go to verses like the ones in Matthew 14. In verses 22 to 33, the Bible shares the story about Jesus walking on water. This story shows that when we believe and have faith, we can achieve what we set our minds to do, no matter the obstacles that we may encounter.
Today I want to share with you three thoughts that can help you have absolute confidence in what’s to come:
1) Keep Your Eyes on God
Sometimes I have a hard time believing in my own abilities because I feel that I’m either not prepared or not empowered to tackle the task at hand. In this story from Matthew, the first thing that Jesus said to the disciples in the boat was “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” It is especially when you feel afraid to tackle the unexpected that you have to keep your eyes on God. When you feel you’re losing focus, close your eyes and pray to God. He will guide you, so keep your eyes on Him.
How many times have you felt scared and lost focus when God was preparing everything around you?
2) Trust the Process
There have been moments where I’ve felt like Peter getting down out of the boat. I start strong, walking on the water towards Jesus, but stumble and lose faith in myself. It’s during these times of little faith that I may fall out a good habit, miss the mark, or start sinking like Peter. Once I realize I’m acting on pure faith, I may lose momentum, and like during Peter’s worst moment, I may cry out: “Lord, save me!” Even though Peter did not have faith at that moment, Jesus still reached out his hand and saved him with no hesitation. Peter was walking the plan that God had for him, but Peter didn’t have the confidence to carry it out to fruition.Remember to trust the process that God has you going through, and know that even though you may stumble, He has a plan for you.
Have you reached out to God for faith before?
3) Have Faith
After reading this story I go back and reflect on what stands the most to me: faith. Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Faith is believing that God goes before you, even when you don’t know what the path may look like. Faith is stepping out of the boat and walking on the water because Jesus told you to “come”. Focus on having faith, and let God focus on making the miracles. Keep in mind that faith needs to be built on, so be courageous when God calls on you.
Do you feel like Peter sometimes? Are you doubting you have what it takes to make it happen? Look again because God already gave you everything you need to have absolute confidence in His plans for you.