And after saying goodbye to them, He left for the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.
When we face life challenges, we often come to a point where we feel hopeless. We use phrases like “I’m at a loss for what to do,” or “I feel like my back is against the wall.” It’s easy to allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by our problems. Because we live in a fallen world, we face resistance, hardship, and inconvenience even in things that feel like they should be easy. What makes our faith distinct from any other religion on earth is not the idea of hardship existing but what God does in our struggle and brokenness. God doesn’t give us instructions to “be better” or take on the problems of the world on our own strength—our God moves toward us.
Because of Christ, we don’t have to look at any situation as hopeless. He came from heaven to earth—and went from life to death to resurrection—to bring ultimate reconciliation. In all things, we can seek Him and His redemption. Because He moved toward us, we don’t have to be hopeless and afraid of what happens next. Because He is sovereign and aware of what’s happening in our lives, He can help us in any situation. Romans 8:33-34 says, “Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God who also intercedes for us.” All things rest in the hands of our Lord. He is the ultimate judge of all we do, but He changed everything. He moved toward us, making it possible for us to walk with Him through every part of life.
- What is an example of how God has moved toward you?
- How does God the reality that God moves toward you change the way you view your faith?
- Pray and praise God for how He has moved toward you.
