Journey With Jesus 365Sample

"And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear."

The disciples saw Him—they saw Jesus, their Lord—and yet derived no comfort from His presence. Poor human nature! Physical sight is weak compared to the spiritual vision of faith. They saw Jesus, but they did not recognize Him. To them, it could only be a ghost. After all, how could any man walk on the turbulent waters? How could He withstand the fury of the storm?

The disciples, though seasoned fishermen accustomed to the dangers of the sea, were terrified—not by the natural forces of the storm, but by what seemed supernatural. The sight of what they thought was a ghost shattered their courage. We can almost hear their panicked cries. At this moment of deepest fear and confusion, they were actually closer to a moment of incredible revelation and peace.

The very One they feared was the One who would calm their storm.

Their lack of discernment blinded them to the great comfort that was near. This reminds us of how easily we, too, can miss the presence of Christ in the midst of our own storms. We should pray for the Lord to be near, and even more, that we might recognize Him when He is.

In what areas of our lives might we be failing to recognize Christ’s presence and comfort, especially when we are overwhelmed by fear or uncertainty? How can we cultivate spiritual discernment in those moments of panic? What area in our lives may the Lord be trying to build faith but we are allowing fear to overwhelm us?