Overcoming as Jesus did

By Boniface Simiyu

The scriptures about Jesus and his life here on earth amongst us have lessons far more important than just the kind of image we have of someone who simply looked like he came to heal the sick and walk around town talking of heaven.  In every act of Jesus we get a clear revelation meant for our spirits to mature in the knowledge of God.  In the event of Jesus walking on the water we learn a number of things as the Holy Spirit teaches us in a wisdom described by the bible as "comparing spirit with spirit".  Therefore the stories we read contain spiritual lessons and are comparable to our own spiritual encounters and walk.


24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary
In our Christian walk with God, our journey is met with WINDS.  These are the winds which drive the challenging circumstances we face.  They always come to us when we are in the midst of our journey in Christ i.e in the midst of the sea.  The winds are the ones which stir up everything against our progress in walking the Christian walk, and they are ever contrary to our progress as the verse states.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them.....
Jesus will never let us travel alone towards our destiny but he will always join us especially when we are in the midst of what opposes our Christian progress the most, during our darkest hour.  He therefore will not stay away but will always come to us when we are in the midst of a situation and when the situation is tossing us around.

.......Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

And not only that he comes to us when we are in our worst tossings but the word shows that even though we seem tossed by the sea, and everything we are going through Jesus is never affected nor tossed by the circumstances which we face.  He walks through the same circumstances we face but he does so on top of the circumstances despite the contrary wind that is against us.  We can learn from this and trust him because he is not one to be moved and he is not staying away watching us go through the difficult time.  He comes to us at such times and walks through the same, but as our anchor.  In fact he took on the flesh and gave us an example that even we in our flesh we can overcome and walk on top of the situations that face us.
 
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit;

When the disciples saw Jesus they were afraid and cried out.  And this reveals that whenever man, even we as his disciples see Gods manifestations that we do not understand, we usually respond in fear and are not usually at first sight convinced that it is of God, the working of Jesus.  The disciples were primarily afraid because they knew according to their finite and weak minds that no one can walk on the sea i.e sometimes we think that there is no possibility of anyone being able to withstand the trials we go through.

.....and they cried out for fear.
We as Gods disciples are not superhumans but at times we do get afraid.  Especially when faced with something that we do not understand.  This very story of Jesus and what the disciples encountered was showing also the very nature of man in the disciples, even in us.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them
The Lord will always immediately speak his word to us whenever we are full of fear concerning what we face and the unsurety of whether God is in it to help us.  He will speak to us by his word.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
There are times when we are faced with great challenges that rock our lives.  We will always get a response from God at times even when we do not notice or call out to him for help.  It reveals his awareness of whatever we go through continually and he is faithful enough to always come into our situations to help even when we have forgotten to call on him, just as the disciples did.  Even when we as his disciples do not think of calling on Him he will come.


...; be not afraid
.Jesus knows our hearts and emotions very well.  He knows when we get scared.  Jesus called out to the disciples and said do not fear showing that he was well aware of their own emotions, our emotions as disciples.  But he has a purpose in our lives too as seen above, i.e he doesn't want us to be filled with fear because of our circumstances nor because of  the nature of his rescuing remedies to the circumstances, which remedies may seem alien to us.


Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid
However it also teaches us that despite our times when we do get afraid or when we respond in fear at what we do not understand is from God then God, knowing we are afraid, will always move to stop us from being afraid.  He is one who determines to keep us from getting fearful .Jesus will always move to stop fear from gripping you whenever he knows you are afraid, especially in a situation in which you do not understand his own working within the storm you face.  His word is meant to make you cheerful even when the storm in your life is still brewing.


God will always use only His word to assure us whenever we see anything unfamiliar in our lives within our storms, yet which may be his working to help us.. Jesus spoke, and we know Jesus is the word of God.  Therefore God will always endeavor to speak his word into our lives to stop the fear that arises when we do not recognize his working in our storm.  And most important is that Jesus speaks the word in such circumstances with the sole intent of making us CHEERFUL

5.God stops fear from taking hold of us by speaking his word to us.  It was Jesus who by his own word told the disciples not to be afraid.  And so we as his disciples are encouraged against all fear that the father sees in us by speaking his word to us immediately he notices that we are afraid, especially in situations which he is in yet which we don't recognize as being His workings.


28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

And the Lord doesn't condemn Peter but Peter is the type of disciple among us who wants to be changed into the image of Christ to be able to walk on top of the tough situations that faces him and other disciples.  Indeed the lord will send his word to us in order to encourage and strengthen us, but after that there is the kind of disciple who knows the power of the word of God, and who knows that when God speaks the word it will accomplish that which it is sent to do and will make you courageous and cheerful as the Lord purposes.  Such a Christian, after getting such a word from God in his circumstances will ask God by His word to empower him, strengthen him to overcome the situation even in the same manner as Jesus does.   Such a Christian doesn't stop at being cheered by Gods word but goes ahead to find out if it is indeed the Lord reaching out to help him.  Then he walks out of his own security (the boat) and would rather rely on Gods encouraging word that empowers him to WALK ON THE WATER, to do as Jesus did in the situation.  It is not a sin to remain in the crowd doing the common thing like the other disciples. but a disciple who knows the power of the word of God will go further in his life and in his Christian walk to overcome the situations facing him, even when they are still there.

..., he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

The word that the Lord gives you in your situations and upon which you rely on is meant to not only empower you to walk over your situations but to enable you to draw closer to Jesus in your walk.  Even through your situations.  There are many Christians who are content, after being encouraged by the Lord in their rough situations, to just stay in the boat and not seek to move towards knowing God or getting closer to Jesus at all.  Everyday they face trouble they are sent his encouraging word of cheer but only a few move out, within their challenges and seek to move closer to Jesus.


30 But when he saw the wind boisterous,...
Remember that even when you walk out headlong overcoming the situation like Jesus did, there is one thing you should never do.  "looking at the wind" and not only that but looking at the nature of the wind i.e "boisterous" Once you look at the nature and seeming extremity of your situations you will definitely begin to...

...and beginning to sink
This is the result of any looking or noticing of the seriousness of your situations.  It doesn't mean that you will totally sink but it means that whenever you, in your Christian walk and in your doing as Jesus did against situations, look at the seriousness of your situation then you will START being overcome by your situation.  Not being overcome but definitely start being overcome .i.e beginning to sink
So never look at the seriousness of the situation however bad it seems.. Just go on and remember the Lords word to you.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him,
Even when you are faced with the drastic consequence of beginning to sink because you looked at the nature of your situations call upon Jesus and he will never say "you shouldn't have come".  He will IMMEDIATELY respond to your prayer and hold out his hand and catch you.  He is ever faithful to help even when we have taken it up to go further in seeking to get closer to Him.

..., and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
He does however teach us why we can begin to sink in our seeking to get closer to him or in seeking to do as he did.  And that is we begin to sink when we doubt.  And how does doubt come? Well it comes whenever you focus on the extremity of your situations.  Why did he call this attempt one of little faith?  Simply because the Lord had given Peter His word and it had taken Peter far enough in walking over and upon his situations but since Faith comes by hearing the word Peter or you and I begin to sink because we forget to remind ourselves of his word and instead look at the challenges in our way.  No wonder Jesus asked.  He didn't just comment but asked..
WHY DID YOU DOUBT?
The Lord has given you his assurance by his word and it is upholding you that far, so why, when it has taken you all the way, did you doubt?

Jesus in his totally human flesh showed us how to overcome situations.  He showed that that is how in his flesh he dealt with the same situations we face.  He showed that even as he did so can we in our situations despite our weaknesses.  And he showed us his faithfulness and understanding of our nature.

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