Day 23: Do Not Be Afraid

Read: John 6:16-21 

There have been a number of times in my life that I’ve been afraid. When I was fired from my first post-grad job, not knowing if another would come. When I had to find a new church to call home for the first time in my life since moving from my home in Los Angeles all the way to Chicago for school. When I lost friends who I thought would be around longer. I’m not a stranger to fear, yet in this Jesus has revealed Himself in far more ways than I could have imagined. 

After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sent the disciples across the lake, while He stayed behind to pray. As they set out for Capernaum in the dark, a sudden storm blew up. The wind was strong and the waters were rough.  

While dealing with this storm that had come at the worst possible time, they saw a figure moving across the water toward them in the dark. Nothing good could come out of this. But in the middle of the dark and the chaos, they heard the voice of Jesus say, “It is I; do not be afraid.” They were glad it was him, took him onto the boat, and soon arrived at Capernaum.   

Something to note about the disciples is that even though they’ve spent lots of time with Jesus, they still easily became afraid. They had just watched Jesus feed over 5,000 people, yet the storm that surrounded them still brought about fear. In the midst of this though, Jesus knew exactly how to appear to them. 

In the moments of my greatest fears, Jesus has shown up. I’ve had moments where tragedy seemed to strike back-to-back and I could not understand why storms seemed to be never-ending. Yet in these, through small ways that I can understand, Jesus has met me. There are still times that I feel afraid, but I’m reminded that I’m not alone and the storm will never be greater than Jesus who stands with me in it. 

Storms often arise and make our view foggy. In our most fearful state, we forget to see how close we are to shore. What is a storm that’s happening in your life right now that you wish would just end? How can you look to Jesus to be reminded that He is with you in it?