“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” [Mark 6:50 (NLT)]

Faith expects God to be there and isn’t surprised by His presence or what He can do for us.

After Jesus had miraculously fed the 5,000, He went up to the hills to pray while the disciples headed across the lake to Bethsaida. A sudden windstorm occurred and gale force winds and rough seas pummeled their boat. The frightened disciples were rowing hard, struggling against the wind and waves, when they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them. Instead of being comforted by this sight, however, they became terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.

We can understand the disciples not expecting Jesus to be walking on the water, but it’s difficult to understand why they didn’t even pray during their frightening voyage. They just kept struggling on by themselves, trusting in their own power instead of putting their faith in God. After the all of the miracles Jesus had performed and the messages he’d preached, one would think the disciples would have known that He would be there when they needed him. Unfortunately, they still didn’t recognize Jesus for who He was.

Our God is an awesome God, capable of more than we can possibly imagine. He is with us always so we should never be surprised when we find him standing right at our side. After all, he told us, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage! I am here!”

As you walk through the valley of the unknown, you will find the footprints of Jesus both in front of you and beside you. [Charles Stanley]

Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” [Matthew 1:23 (NLT)]