When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; DON’T BE AFRAID.” Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

The disciples were likely already afraid of the storm that beset them. Darkness and high winds can easily create a panic and fearful tendencies. Then “a ghost” walking on the water probably put them over the edge. FEAR CAN CRIPPLE people and cause them to give up. Have you seen fear in our cities, in our leaders in our nation these days? I have. In the moment, fear can be good — like being afraid of a fire and running from it. Overall though, “fear of the unknown”, or forces or things we have no control over — like when we will die — is destructive and disabling.

1 John 4:18 say this: “There is no fear in love. But PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” So what does it look like to live a life free from this terrifying fear we can experience? Well, to do this, we must engage another type of fear — the Fear of The Lord. Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him be eternal praise.” Wisdom and understanding are universally sought after by us all, right? In another part of the Bible, Jesus is warning his disciples about fearing the Pharisees and what they could do to them. He says, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5)

So, we see that we are to fear God instead of man. But this is a different type of fear. We do not need to be afraid of God, because he is perfect in love. So how do we fear him? This type of fear is referencing extreme honor and respect. It is this recognition of his power to save and to help us, that motivates us to follow him and take risks within his will. The fear of God removes the fears of this world. This fear is one we CLING TO; it is reverence and recognition of His ultimate power. It might be compared to the fear a child has of their father. They know he is good. They also know that a good father disciplines their children and deserves respect. The disciples were fearful of forces they had no control over. They found that Jesus did possess this control. By performing this miracle of “the boat automatically reaching shore”, Jesus reinforced to them they should fear God and fear him.

Today, what is it that you fear? Is it helping you accomplish your life mission in Christ Jesus? Let us fear the Lord and HIM ONLY!