The world is full of broken people—wounded by loved ones, society, and even religion. Many of us have learned to hide our pain, to bury it deep and build walls around our hearts. Yet God calls us to bring those wounds to Him, whether they are fresh or buried by time. Jesus calls us into something most of us fear: deep vulnerability and real intimacy with Him. He asks us to trust Him beyond the gates we’ve built to protect ourselves. He calls us into a life we often don’t feel strong, safe, or worthy enough to live.
For many believers, the greatest fear isn’t rejecting God—it’s being consistently open with Him. How do you trust someone you can’t see, who sees everything about you? How do you feel safe with the One who knows your past, present, and future better than you do? That’s a lot to ask us to do.
Yet that very place—ongoing, honest conversation and transparency with God—is the safest place we will ever be. It feels like a contradiction, but it’s where true healing and direction begin. People who encountered Jesus in the Bible responded in many ways. Some fell to their knees in humility. Some tried to deflect and hide, though there was nowhere to hide from His love. Some cried, others rejoiced. Some trembled in fear, and others confessed, “You must be God.” Jesus saw them fully and still invited them close. He does the same with us. He says, “Come.”
Think about Peter in the storm. When Jesus called him out of the boat, Peter actually walked on water toward Him. But when he saw the wind, fear took over, and he began to sink. “Lord, save me!” he cried (Matthew 14:29–30). Jesus immediately reached out, caught him, and brought him back to where he felt safe.
Peter had to trust that Jesus was who He said He was, that He had the power to save, and that His love would not let Peter be destroyed. Jesus also drew out of Peter a courage and capacity Peter didn’t know he had. Even when Peter’s faith failed, Jesus did not.
Jesus invites us to that same “Peter walk”—to risk ourselves with Him. We grow into this trust by spending time with Jesus: in prayer, in His Word, in practices like healthily fasting, and in fellowship with believers who center their lives on God.
The world is in a vicious storm. Our safest place is intimacy and honest communication with
Jesus. He knows and sees it all, and still He says, “Come.”
May we answer Him by stepping out of the boat—with all of our emotions and being.
God bless you!
Pastor Janice Fareed-Hardy
