Midweek Encouragement

God's Word

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV

It is good to be Christ-occupied instead of being self-occupied. But what is the value of seeing Jesus? How does this put money in your bank account and food on your table? How does this help your children in their studies? What we often fail to realize is that miracles happen when we keep our eyes on Jesus. Look at what happened to a fisherman called Peter, who was one of Jesus' disciples, in Matthew 14:22-33 NKJV. When his boat was in the middle of a lake, the most practical thing for a seasoned fisherman to do was to stay in the boat. Science and common sense tell us that when you step out into the water, you will sink!

Keep your eyes on Jesus. While it may sound impractical, it is the most powerful thing you can do, and Jesus will cause you to reign over every storm in your life!

The greatest miracle that Peter experienced happened one night when he stepped out of his boat in the middle of a storm at Jesus' word. The night, the winds were strong, but as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he did the impossible -- he walked on water. Jesus was walking on the water and when Peter looked at Jesus, he became like Jesus and did the supernatural. God's Word declares in 2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV that "we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

1 John 4:17 NKJV - As Jesus is, so are you in this world. When you keep your focus on Jesus, you are transformed into His image from glory to glory. You are transformed by beholding, not by working. When you see that Jesus is above the storms of your life, you will rise above those storms. No amount of self-effort could have helped Peter walk on water. When he did, it happened simply because he was looking at Jesus.

Now, observe what happened the moment Peter turned his eyes away from Jesus, and started to look at the wind and the waves around him. In that instance, Peter became natural and he began to sink. Let's imagine that there was no storm, no howling winds and no crashing waves that night. Let's imagine that it was perfectly calm evening and the Sea of Galilee was as still as a mirror without a single ripple on its surface. Could Peter have walked on water then? Of course not!

Walking on water is not something anyone can do whether or not the water is calm. The wind and waves actually made no difference in Peter's ability to walk on the water. The best thing Peter could have done was to keep his eyes on Jesus and not look at the storm. In the same way, instead of looking at how insurmountable your circumstances and challenges are, turn away from them and keep your eyes on Jesus. While it may sound impractical, it is the most powerful thing you can do, and Jesus will cause you to reign over every storm in your life!

Challenge

If you think that simply looking to Christ is impractical, I challenge you today to see that it is not. In fact, it is the most practical thing you can ever do. Keep your eyes on Jesus and you will become more and more like Him -- full of health, strength, wisdom and life!

Prayer for the Day

Father, I know that I cannot walk on water, regardless if the conditions are stormy or calm. I also know that whether there are problems in my life or not, I cannot reign in life without Jesus. Apart from Him, I can do NOTHING. Therefore, I ask that You help me keep my eyes on Jesus despite the many things that I have to attend to today. I thank You that as I look to Jesus for all my needs and wants in the midst of every difficulty and challenge, He will place me at the right place at the right time and provide me with every resource I need to experience good success!

Thought for Today

I can walk above my problems when I keep my eyes on Jesus and trust Him.