Immediately...

I was just browsing through my Bible and happened across some verses I had highlighted, presumably an extremely long time ago, in Matthew, where Jesus walked on water, and a few verses, one word in particular, caught me eye.

"It's a ghost!" they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I!"

and then:

"But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him."

Do you guys see the theme? IMMEDIATELY said to them. IMMEDIATELY reached out and caught him. Immediately.

I don't know why, but that's just comforting. God doesn't allow us to flounder around. His aid is instantaneous. And my teen study Bible had the note that doubt doesn't drive Jesus away. He's there regardless of whether we are strong or weak. It's sort of, just because we doubt God, he doesn't ever doubt us. He is there no matter what. If we walk away, He will still be waiting when we come back.

I just love that immediately, though. We don't have to wait for God, or at least for His comfort. We are always trying to wait for His perfect timing, because I'm finding that God's schedule is rarely mine, but His comfort, His guidance, His peace, His love...instantaneous. We don't have to wait for it. It's there right now, and it will be in a millisecond and a minute and an hour and a day from now. All we have to do is reach out.

And Know that God is reaching out for us.

"Immediately, Jesus reached out for his hand and caught him."

That is a comfort to me, that even when I doubt and fear and tremble, God is reaching for me, even when I am not reaching for Him...

xoxo,
Erika Rose <3