The world is completely rattled right now.

All the media can talk about is the Coronavirus. We are being bombarded 24 hours a day. Governments are taking extreme measures to try to contain the Coronavirus. The stock market is in a free fall. Business are closing down.

And now news is circulating that a second massive locust swarm is building that could devastate Africa a second time this year.

The world is being shaken.

Jesus promised birth pangs prior to His second coming that included earthquakes, plagues and famines (Matthew 24:7-8; Luke 21:9-12).

But here is the important thing about birth pangs, they are just the warm up, meaning the big show is yet to come. I have to admit I am feeling a bit rattled by just the birth pangs and it makes me wonder how I will function when God’s main event takes the stage.

During these critical times we have choices to make. It is not how I will respond to the Coronavirus, it is how will I respond to fear?

The Coronavirus will die down. It will go away. But something else will come along that will be just as scary or even worse. Fear will simply be wearing a different mask, because it is our real enemy, not the Coronavirus.

When you read the story of Peter’s brief walk on water, two interesting facts emerge.

The account starts with the disciples making their way across the Sea of Galilee and then seeing Jesus walking on water. At that moment Peter asks if he could join the Lord on the water and Jesus said “come.”

²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Matthew 24:29-30 ESV

The first thing we need to notice is that Peter did walk on water. He believed and was walking on top of the storm. He was riding the waves.

Then a second critical thing happens. The Bible records Peter looked at the wind. He started to focus on the storm, and he became “afraid.”

And it was at this moment, that Peter started sinking, and cried out to Jesus for help. He went from riding the waves to under the waves in a matter of seconds.

Jesus reached for his impetuous disciples, pulled Peter out of the water, and said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt.”

Though most Bible teachers like to focus on the little faith part, the key to this verse is “why did you doubt” (Matthew 14:31).

When Peter focused on the storm he became afraid and at that moment the fear drained all the apostle’s walking-on-water faith out of him.

What are you focusing on today?

Are you focussing on the media and the coronavirus or are you focusing on Jesus?