JESUS OUR COMFORTER AND OUR FOCUS

One of the passages that encouraged me during the Circuit Breaker was from Matthew 14:22-33. This passage narrates the story of Jesus walking on water and how the disciples (particularly Peter) came to recognise Him as the Son of God. In the midst of uncertainty and chaos, we can take heart and be steadfast knowing that:

 Jesus comforts us when we are afraid
When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea towards them, they thought He was a ghost. They were terrified and cried out in fear. I love how Jesus immediately calmed the storm within their hearts as He said in verse 27, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Many of us would agree that 2020 has not gone as planned and it is leaving a whirlwind of uncertainty and rapid change, as we continue the battle against COVID-19 and learn to adapt to the new normal. I believe many of us need to hear this word of assurance from Jesus. It is a simple yet powerful and timeless truth we can hold on to, no matter what situation or challenge we face.

 Jesus is to be our focus, not our circumstances
Peter was doing well when he got out of the boat and began walking on the water towards Jesus. Yet the moment he took his eyes off Jesus, all he saw was the wind and waves and he began to sink. Jesus immediately reached out His hand, caught hold of Peter and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” At the point of my job resignation, I had no idea a pandemic was round the corner. I was very much like Peter, overwhelmed with fear, worry and doubt as I focused my attention on all the negative news. But thank God for His Word! Through this narrative, I was reminded to keep my focus on Jesus and it is something I need be conscious of doing, moment-by-moment.
May we recognize our Lord when He comes to us in the middle of our storms, keep our focus on Him and rest assured that He will calm the stormy waters of life. Let us declare along with the disciples, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Pastor Lee Ee Foo

Huey Ming, my wife and I, we look forward to seeing you in person soon.