Enduring Joy: The Joy of Refuge

Do you ever have doubts? Do you grieve? Are you ever envious of those who chose the path of evil and seem to get away with it? Honest Christians admit having moments of each. In our Old Testament reading, we meet a prophet who is doing both. He feels alone and forgotten. God reminds Elijah that the weight of the world is not on his shoulders, but the Lord is in control of all things. There are believers Elijah does not see and triumphs he does not recognize. In our Gospel, Peter boldly steps out of the boat in faith, only to be overwhelmed by his surroundings. His own courage quickly fails him. But Jesus doesn’t. He gave him his word and he will not let him drown. Graciously the Lord extends his hand to rescue this doubting disciple. We are not saved by great miracles, but by the still small voice, the steady open hand of our Savior!