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Sometimes when we encounter Jesus, it isn’t in a way that we have experienced before or even knew was possible. In John 6:16-21 when Jesus walked on the water to meet the disciples “they were afraid” because they didn’t expect him to show up the way he did.

“Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them…they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid. But he said to them, ‘It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then they were willing to take him on board.”

How in your life is Jesus showing up, yet you are still fearful about the circumstance because it is like nothing you’ve experienced before?

Jesus is speaking over us every single day saying, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” But, we have to be willing to invite him into our lives. We can always stand in a boat of like-minded people who love and serve Jesus, we need to be willing to invite him on board instead of just looking at him, wondering what is going to happen.

In this specific moment, the darkness of the night had set it so it would have been difficult for the disciples to see the face of Jesus clearly. But, don’t you think after seeing him perform miracles already that they would have had a confidence in knowing who was approaching them, someone capable of walking on water, rather than allowing their uncertainty and fear overcome them?

We too have seen many miracles performed by Jesus in the scriptures, and for some of us, maybe even in our own lives or in the lives of a loved one. But, do we have confidence in knowing Jesus so well that even when darkness sets in, and he unexpectedly meets us, that we will invite him into the situation.

I can easily relate to the disciples knowing that I get comfortable in what I know and what I’ve seen, that when a new experience or encounter that could be life altering happens, fear arises because I don’t know how to approach the situation, especially if I can’t see clearly in the darkness, whether physically or spiritually.

I want to grow in confidence knowing Jesus so well within my spirit that I would be able to more quickly invite him into my life, no matter what the circumstance. The amazing truth of this is that he is available to us every day through access from the Word and Holy Spirit and we get the opportunity to invite him into every aspect of our lives.

I hope for myself and for you that Jesus will encounter us in a new way, unexpectedly, meeting us in the darkness and speaking over us, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”