Fix Your Eyes

I remember the first time I jumped off the diving board. My stomach churned with fear as I stared into the water below. What if I drowned? What if I wasn’t strong enough to swim to the edge and to safety? What if…

“Come on, Rebekah!” My swim instructor called out to me as he watched me debate within myself. “I’ll be right here, you are going to be okay. I’ll catch you, I promise!” Instead of focusing on the water that day in the pool, I focused on the face of my instructor and jumped!

Life, like the water that I faced that day so long ago, can be scary and uncertain. Despite the fear, we, like a child jumping into the pool for the first time, can jump into the things God calls us into because we know that God will be there to catch us, holding out His arms, reassuring us as we hesitate at the edge. Fix your eyes upon Jesus and watch as he leads you through the unknown to places where your faith will grow and your spirit rests in the presence of your Savior.

The Lord reminds us that he will go before us and that “he will never leave us nor forsake us” (Deuteronomy 31:18). God always, always, always keeps his promises! Even when we can’t see it, he is right there with us through the storms of life, fighting our battles and working all things out for his eternal glory.

Dear Lord, help me keep my eyes on you instead of my imagined fears. Fill me with the bold confidence that you’re always there to catch me if I leap in faith, and no matter what, you will help me safely back to the edge of the pool! Amen.

Go Deeper — Think of a time you were afraid to do something but someone encouraged you they’d be there for you. Now read the story of Peter walking on the water to Jesus. What stands out to you?