Author: Nathaniel Colt

Read about It

Read: Psalm 34:4–7

Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night because you heard a loud noise? Or maybe you’ve been in a car when the person driving had to slam on the breaks to avoid being in an accident. Our bodies are designed with something called a “fight or flight” response to fear. In those times, it can feel like our heart stops for a split second. Our hands might get sweaty, and our body feel like we can’t move. Our immediate reaction is sometimes to flee or run away.

Fear can be paralyzing like when Peter noticed the waves around him and he started to sink. But Jesus can free us from our fears when we go to Him. He can give us the courage to face our difficulties head-on. When we feel desperate and helpless, we can call out to Him just like Peter did. The Bible promises us that He will listen. Go ahead and try it. Trust the Lord to face your fears with you and He will not fail you!

Read about It

Read: Psalm 27:1–8

When David wrote this psalm, he called God, “the Lord.” The Lord is all powerful. He is greater than anything or anyone else. He has all authority, and He has the final say about everything. These verses talk about how we can trust God and don’t have to be afraid. When danger comes, He can protect us. When enemies attack, we can be confident of His help.

When the storms of life come and the waves seem high like they did to Peter, we can remain confident in God. We don’t have to be afraid! Because of this, we should desire more than anything else to be close to Him. When we pursue God, we can find peace from our fears. God wants us to come to Him. He is constantly saying to us, “Come and talk with me.” (Psalm 27:8). But it’s up to us if we will choose to respond to Him.

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Read: Matthew 14:28–33

Some people think of Peter as the disciple who took risks. He sometimes charged boldly into things. So it’s not surprising that he said to Jesus, “If it’s really you, tell me to come to you.” He started out strong and brave. But when he took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind and waves around him, Peter became scared and began to sink. Jesus didn’t let him drown though. In fact, Jesus immediately reached out to help him get out of the water.

Peter was willing to call to Jesus because he knew that Jesus was worth trusting. We can trust Jesus too. He has proven His faithfulness over and over again. But sometimes we have a hard time trusting Him completely. It’s easy for us to take our eyes off Jesus just like Peter did. But if we will call out to Jesus, He will help us walk confidently and courageously through any storm that comes our way.

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Read: Matthew 14:22–27

Imagine you were with the disciples in the boat. A giant storm came up while they were out on the lake. They had been with Jesus and seen the miracles He could do. But they were still afraid. Then when they saw Jesus coming toward them walking on the water, they didn’t even know it was Jesus. They were terrified! They thought He was a ghost.

Like the disciples, we’re going to face difficult times in our life that feel like scary storms. Jesus will be with us just like He was with the disciples. We don’t have to be afraid. Jesus told the disciples not to be afraid because He was there. We can trust that Jesus will be with us, too!

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Read: Ephesians 1:4–8

Even before He made the world, God loved us. He wants to make us His children and part of His family. God gives His grace to those who belong to Him. He shows them His kindness and love.

The words poured and showered in the Bible reading don’t mean just a little drop here and there. Think about when a rain shower comes down. There is water coming down all around. This is how God offers us His grace and kindness: generously!

Like the woman in our Bible story, we shouldn’t let our past sin and shame keep us from Jesus. He willingly gave His life for us on the Cross, so our sins could be forgiven! God chooses to forgive us when we ask, not because He has to, but because He wants to. It makes Him really happy to forgive us!

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Read: Romans 3:22–24

Think about a good thing you did for someone in order to earn something you wanted. Maybe you cleaned and washed the car to earn extra allowance. Or perhaps you cleared the table and did the dishes to earn extra screen time. Many times, this is how our brains are wired to think. In order to earn a reward, we have to do something good first.

But when it comes to salvation and being forgiven of our sins, this isn’t how it works at all! Everyone has sinned and needs forgiveness. But the Bible says that forgiveness isn’t something we can earn or work extra hard for. Instead, we receive it because of God’s loving grace. Grace is when you are given something you haven’t earned.

The woman who came to Jesus for forgiveness didn’t do anything special before she came to Him. She was known as a sinner. Yet, because of Jesus, she received forgiveness because of His grace. When we realize that we’ve made a mistake, we can go to God immediately! When we go to Him with a heart that is truly sorry for the things we’ve done, He is more than willing to give us the gift forgiveness because of grace.

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Read: Luke 7:40–50

With people staring at her, this woman humbly knelt behind Jesus’ feet. She didn’t let her pride or past get in the way. All she wanted was forgiveness from Jesus. He knew exactly what she had done. He could have turned her away, but He didn’t! In fact, Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven … Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Jesus changed this woman’s life. The people who saw this began to question who Jesus was, too!

One encounter with Jesus can change our life forever! Yes, Jesus is that good. Because of His death on the Cross, our sins can be forgiven. Our past mistakes can be completely wiped away. He can give us a fresh start no matter how much we’ve messed up. He just wants us to come to Him, sit at His feet, and give our life to Him. He freely gives forgiveness and grace. He is willing to change our life if we ask Him to!

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Read: Luke 7:36–39

The woman in this Bible story was known for being a sinner. It was a big deal for her to go uninvited to the Pharisee’s home. But she had heard Jesus would be having dinner there. So in spite of what other people thought of her, she made her way to Jesus as He sat at the table. She began to cry on His feet, drying them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet! The perfume she used to pour on Jesus’ feet was very expensive. It may have been worth as much as a year’s payment for work!

Can you imagine sitting at the table and watching this? The Pharisee was definitely surprised, and maybe even angry that she was there. What he didn’t understand was that this woman was pouring out all that she had at Jesus’s feet. She understood what Jesus could do. She was willing to take the risk to get to Jesus, so she could be forgiven.

Jesus wants us to come to Him just as we are. He wants us to pursue Him, to want to know and follow Him, no matter what the cost may be. Through Him, we can be forgiven!