“Don’t be afraid. I am here!” (John 6:20b, NLT).
Greetings to you all in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Now, we are stepping into
our second month of this year already! In January, our first month of this
year, we just checked the water temperature and the condition of the water in a
shallow water near the land before we move into the deeper water. So, as we move
into much deeper water this month, we might be able to enjoy the water more,
the beauty of God’s creation in a new way; however, we might experience some
strong wind storms too. Are we ready to take all those boldly now, whatever it
comes?
Some years ago, after Jesus
fed thousands of people with five barley loaves and two fish, I mean after he
made an incredible miracle in front of people, Jesus’ disciples got into the
boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum.
Actually, they waited for
Jesus to join them; however, until darkness fell, Jesus did not show up. So
they decided to cross the water in darkness by themselves. But in the middle of
the lake, a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. So they
tried very hard to move on in darkness in the middle of the lake. But suddenly,
they saw Jesus walking on the water toward that struggling boat. They were
terrified because they did not know what it was. We know what happened after
that. Jesus said, “Hey! Don’t be afraid! It’s me!” They might say happily, “Oh!
Jesus, come in please!” Actually, they did!
“Then, they were eager to let him in the boat and
immediately
they arrived at their destination” ( John 6:21, NLT).
It means, they were able to
move across the lake safely!
When I was driving one day,
I saw the snow covered lake, I mean a frozen lake. They are all around us now.
Then, something came to my mind, “Wow, everybody can walk across the lake like
Jesus in our winter time, even though it is on the ice.”
There might be many ways to
move across the water like through swimming, taking a boat, or walking on the
frozen water, even driving on it. However, what is the safest way to move
across the water? Just think about it! The depth of the water might be a
problem, and unpredictable movement of the water below, and the weather like a
strong gale, and furthermore, in darkness?
However, we witness that the
safest way to cross the water is walking with Jesus, no matter what!
Brothers and sisters in
Christ, in this month of February, as usual, we will talk about how to wade in
the water, I mean in the relational water which is sometimes peaceful,
sometimes roaring, fluctuating, swirling, shaking, and sometimes frozen, muddy,
or clear like the water in the lake. How can we cross the water together safely
no matter what? The answer is the same! With Jesus alone!
Another exciting and
exhilarating month journeying with Jesus! So, now I would like to invite you to
join us this new journey of wading in the water together with Jesus! Join us!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Kyochul
