22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14)
Jesus was exhausted from ministry, and from word of the death of John the Baptizer. His response was two-fold: first, to retreat to the Father as much as possible for renewal and strength; second, to minister with increasing intensity and compassion. It was all very overwhelming for Him, so he understood well how overwhelming it was for His disciples. They did exactly what they(and we) should: "Cry out to God in prayer." His response is classic and constant: "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." His presence is all we need, just as the Father's presence was all He needed for the toughest of days, times and seasons in life. Today, take time as He did to spend time in the presence of the Father, so you can hear Jesus answering back: "It's okay; I'm here; you can stop being afraid."
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