God’s Will, Not Our Desires
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Many times in Scripture, angels told people to not be afraid. Jesus also said this many times. As you develop in your relationship with the One Who has redeemed you, Jesus will deepen your trust in Him. You will grow, and His Words will bring you comfort through anything that you may face.
But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel:“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;I have called you by your name;You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.
Isaiah 43:1-2
Anything Jesus wants you to endure is possible with His direction and power. Every problem in your life is an opportunity for God to show His power. He does this through the provision of a relationship with His Son Jesus. God’s Will redeems you in Christ. God will work out His purposes no matter the barriers. During a storm, Jesus can calm the seas to show that He is there in the middle of the difficulty. Whatever people use to try and stop the Will of God is captured by God’s Will. When you encounter accusations, troubles, lies, resistance, or anger, God will use that to show His power.
Sorrow brings Christ near to you. Fear should drive you toward Christ. Despite fear, you ought to be joyful that Jesus entrusts the Will of God to you. The disciples were in the boat, during a storm, living in their fear. If you spend your time focusing on the problem, your eyes will not be toward Christ. When you are in the storm, Christ says, “It is I; do not be afraid.” When you follow Christ with all your heart, the storms don’t end; but your focus should change from the storm to the Will of God.
Have you ever tried going in your own direction because you reasoned it was the best thing to do only to find that the road you traveled was the wrong one? People are so busy trying to discover, understand, and solve what they should do next that they forget Jesus is present in everything they need. Maybe you had one decision to make but several directions to choose from. How do you make the right decision?
If you are not close to Jesus, you will only make your most educated guess. While the disciples made a decision to go down to the sea, Jesus made a decision to go to the mountain and separate Himself from them once again. If you are comfortable having Jesus in your life, then it should be a shock when you need help and notice Jesus does not seem near. It is as though Jesus went away so the disciples could see their need for Him.
Though the world wanted Him to be a king on earth, Jesus chose to walk away from the world and move toward His Father. You should get used to a relationship with God so much that you desire God’s Will more than your own earthly desires. You should never get so busy with Christian ministry and service that you weaken your time with God. Without the deepening relationship with God through Christ and by His Spirit, you will just fulfill earthly goals and miss out on the power of God.
From John: True Belief Brings Joy Book 1 by Alison Veazey and Kerry Skinner