Take Heart
EVEN IN OUR DOUBT, FEAR, AND FAITHLESSNESS, HE REMAINS FAITHFUL.
By: David Goodrich, Middle school principal
"Yet he is actually not far from each one of us."
Acts 17:27
In this season of COVID-19, quarantine, protests, economic downturn, fluctuating markets, presidential debates, heightened political rhetoric, and racial tensions, I find myself captivated by temporal things and overwhelmed by the unknown.
For me, every day is a struggle to "destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Most days, I fail to grasp God's truth, consequently slipping into a sea of despair, anxiousness, and fear. Too often, my eyes are fixed on the world's pursuits, passions, and possessions.
Why do I so quickly forget that He is "actually not far from each one of us?"
God’s Provision
In Matthew 14, Jesus, full of compassion, fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish. Indeed, such a story of God's miraculous provision should drive out any fear or anxiety that besets the disciples (and us!).
Nonetheless, the disciples, bearing witness to these wonders, immediately lost sight of God.
After sending them away in a boat to the other side of the sea and dismissing the crowd, Jesus retreated to pray. During that time, the disciples rowed three to four miles out to sea, and suddenly, the sea became rough.
When the waves began to threaten their existence, fear, anxiousness, and panic engulfed them. Instead of clinging to the truth of Christ's unfailing provision and mercy, the disciples’ circumstances overwhelmed their belief.
His Hand of Mercy
Like the disciples, storms break over the bows of our lives and threaten to upend our comfort, security, and peace. What are we to do?
Jesus answers, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." (Matthew 4:27)
Amid the storm, Peter beckoned, "‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’” (Matthew 14:28-30)
As Peter began to sink, Jesus reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)
Even in our doubt, fear, and faithlessness, He remains faithful and ready to extend His hand of mercy when we are sinking beneath the trials of life.
Therefore, take heart, do not be afraid, for He who created all things is seated on the Throne, and He is "actually not far from each one of us."
God shows up in our messy places and transforms ordinary moments into holy ones.