Don’t Stare at the Problem!

In Matthew 14, Peter walks on water.

“Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord save me!”

What was Peter’s big mistake? Why did he start sinking? Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to look at the wind. As soon as he did that,

I have to keep my eyes on God. I can’t stare at the problem, the trial I’m going through. If I do, like Peter, I began to sink. Two weeks ago I spent my day staring at the problem. In my head, I imagined what I could or couldn’t do to fix the problem. I started bargaining with the past. I thought to myself, “Well, what if I’d only done this or that?” As the day wore on I fell deeper and deeper into this overwhelming depression.

When I realized what I had done, I shook it all off, picked up my Bible and began to read. Through tears I read of God’s love for me. I read that He is near to the broken-hearted. He hears the prayers of His children. And like Peter when Jesus reached down to pull him out of the water, so God reached down to me and pulled me out of the pit I’d fallen into.

We’re always going to have trials. It’s what we signed up for as Believers. Once we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we joined a war. But that’s not to say that God is a big bully in the sky. He’s definitely NOT! It’s to show how temporary this life is. It’s to remind us that our future isn’t here, it’s in heaven-for eternity! So while we live our lives down on this planet, God refines us and shapes us. He reveals who He is and how much He loves us. And He does this through trials.

Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, they had to be reintroduced to the God that freed them. He showed Himself through each trial. He showed them He was the God who brings water out of rocks. He was the God who fed them with manna from heaven. He parted the Red Sea and gave them meat when they demanded it. Every step of the way, He was there revealing who He was.

In my own life, I see God’s hand upon me. As long as I keep my focus on God and not on the trial. Over and over again, God reaches down and touches my heart. He lifts me up. His word nourishes my soul. He speaks to me over and over again, reminding me how much He loves me. My job is to keep my eyes on Him.

So if you are going through a trial, turn your eyes to God, Believer. Focus on Him, and He won’t disappoint. He will be quick to rescue you. Quick to comfort you. The trial may not go away right away, but this is the time, to experience God’s great love for His children.