our daily bread
Dexu Xia
Learning to Know God
But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” John 6:20
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a mother. I dreamed about getting married, getting pregnant, and holding my baby in my arms for the first time. When I finally got married, my husband and I never even considered waiting to expand our family. But with each negative pregnancy test, we realized we were struggling with infertility. Months of doctors’ visits, tests, and tears followed. We were in the middle of a storm. Infertility was a bitter pill to swallow and left me wondering about God’s goodness and faithfulness.
When I reflect on our journey, I think about the story of the disciples caught in the storm on the sea in John 6. As they struggled against the waves in the dark of the storm, Jesus unexpectedly came to them walking on the stormy waves. He calmed them with His presence, saying, “It is I; don’t be afraid” (v. 20).
What fears do you need to place in the all-powerful hands of Jesus?
Like the disciples, my husband and I had no idea what was coming in our storm; but we found comfort as we learned to know God more deeply as the One who is always faithful and true. Although we would not have the child we had dreamed of, we learned that in all our struggles we can experience the power of His calming presence. Because He is there powerfully working in our lives, we need not be anxious.
Dear Lord, thank You that I do not have to face the storms in this life without You. Thank You for Your calming presence and power carrying me through whatever I face.
Read more about waiting on God at discoveryseries.org/q0736.
We can experience God’s powerful presence even in the storms of our lives.
更认识上帝
耶稣对他们说：“是我，不要怕！”-约翰福音6章20节
从小时候开始，我就一直很想当个母亲。我梦想着结婚、怀孕，并第一次怀抱着自己的宝宝。终于，我结婚了。我们夫妻俩从未考虑要过二人世界，我们迫不及待地要有下一代。然而，因为每次的验孕结果都让人失望，我们终于发现自己有不孕的问题。我们花好几个月的时间看医生、作检测，换来的只是伤心的泪水。我们就像在风暴中，不孕就像是苦得难以下咽的黄莲，让我开始怀疑上帝的美善和信实。
当我反思这段经历时，我就想到约翰福音第6章，描述门徒在海中遇到风暴的经历。当他们在黑夜中对抗狂风巨浪、挣扎求存的时候，耶稣出人意料地在惊涛骇浪中走向他们，祂的同在使门徒不再惊慌，祂对他们说：“是我，不要怕！”（20节）
我们夫妻俩就像那些门徒一样，不知道在风暴中会遇到什么事。然而，当我们更认识这位永远信实和真实的上帝时，我们就得了安慰。虽然我们没有得到渴求的孩子，但我们却学会了如何在各样的挣扎中，经历上帝的大能和同在使我们得享平安。因祂以大能在我们的生命里工作，我们就无需担忧。
亲爱的主，谢谢祢总是陪伴着我，
让我不必独自面对生命中的风暴。谢谢祢的同在
所带来的平安，也谢谢祢以大能带领我经过一切。