Good Rx

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30)

The Son of God's infamous evening stroll across the Sea of Galilee taught Peter a very important lesson - KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS. I can only imagine what was going through Peter's mind when was he was called out of the boat to join his Rabbi on the water. You see, Peter was a fisherman so he knew the water very, very well. Like me, also a fisherman, he probably had a deep respect for the water and how dangerous it could be. If the Israelites held courses on boating and water safety, Peter was about to break every single rule he ever would have learned. But what he saw could not be unseen. Jesus was actually defying the laws of physics and walking on top of an untamed body of water...seemingly with ease and without concern.

For a short while, Peter walked with his LORD out on the sea. Wild, right? Well, it wasn't long before he began to sink. All it took was a gust of wind to spook Peter, causing him to lose his faith. Jesus was standing right next to him and yet Peter still sank. Of course, the Messiah reached out His hand to save a struggling Peter. It was then that Peter understood what happens when we take our eyes and attention off Christ. We sink. We stumble. We fall. It's no wonder he wrote the following later in his ministry...

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

Peter learned here and throughout his whole time spent with Jesus that our eyes need to be on the the Living Word of God - both during the calm and during the storm. It seems that I need to learn that again.

I have been battling anxiety for most of my adult life. And no, not the type of anxiety that people feel before going on stage before a big performance. I'm talking about the kind of anxiety that manifests itself into real, physical symptoms. Shortness of breath, heart palpitations, headaches, weird unexplainable sensations, fidgeting, restlessness, impulsive decision-making, you name it. The past week I've been dealing with it again. To keep my story short, I'm in the middle of a "wake up call" about my health. I actually ended up in the ER a few nights ago by choice because I was so worried about what was happening in my body.

The hospital staff were fantastic. They got me right in, treated me with true care, and made me feel a whole lot better. The doctor gave me a little something to take the edge off (it was legal, relax). But more importantly, he prescribed something else - the Word of God. You see, I was expecting to spend the night there so I brought my Bible with me. The same Bible that believe it or not, has been collecting dust on my nightstand for months. I write about God a lot, share the Gospel quite a bit, and I look up scriptures every day but in doing all that, I've neglected to just be still with God, in His Word.

The doctor saw my Bible and asked, "Oh great! You read the Bible." It turns out he is reading it too. We didn't get too deep into conversation about it but when he discharged me his advice was, "You should probably read more of the Bible too." Oh Shane, how many times do I need to learn this? How many times do I need to take my own advice, the same advice that I give to others? Well, apparently God is using doctors now to tell me that I just need my daily dose of God's Word.

God's Word is my guide.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)

God's Word protects us.

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. (Psalm 119:114)

God's Word is something that we need daily, like food.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

God's Word is eternal.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

God's Word is JESUS.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

God's Word endures forever.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. (Isaiah 40:8)

While we may need to exercise, eat healthy and sometimes take medicine, the best medicine we could ever receive is making the decision to live by God's Word. But turning to the Bible isn't just for times of crisis. We shouldn't wait until we're sinking to fix our eyes on Jesus. We need to immerse ourselves in the Word like we would a Netflix or Disney+ series. More so, really. Because one day our bodies will fade and the only thing we can take with us into the next life is God's Word - Jesus. If we have Him, we will live. If we do not, we will perish.

I'm excited to hop into my Bible tonight. My eyes will be on Him and I pray that yours will too. But not just for tonight...not just tonight...