|
“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (Matthew 14:25-27).
The Lord Jesus knew the distress the disciples were in, and He came to them, but in an unusual way. They thought it was an evil spirit and were afraid, but the Lord Jesus instantly reassures them that it was He who was walking on the water. His words, “Be of good cheer” must have really encouraged them.
Sometimes the Lord comes to us in our lives too, but in an unusual way. He may allow some strange or unfamiliar thing to happen that we think could only mean more trouble, yet it is the Lord Himself coming to our help. He knows the trouble we are in, and wants to reassure us—“Be of good cheer!” Let us not be afraid, but recognize that the Lord is over all the things that happen to us, and wants to encourage us. But He allows our faith to be tested sometimes.
Remember, all this happened in the fourth watch of the night—between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. They had been rowing most of the night, but the Lord had not forgotten them. We will see the end of the story on Monday.
|
