Recently my dad was speaking with me about his work. He was fixing a machine that no one else could fix, but he told me, "It wasn't that no one else knew how to fix it. It was an easy fix. The others were misdiagnosing the situation. When you know what you're dealing with, the rest is easy. But if you're thinking the wrong thing, you actually do more damage." Later, as I read my Bible, the story of Jesus walking on the waves came up. This time it was my Heavenly Father who started speaking to me about His work. As Jesus approached the disciples in Matthew 14, there was a serious case of misdiagnosis. Misdiagnosis- "to draw an incorrect conclusion", "to analyze the cause of something incorrectly" or "to incorrectly recognize signs" Seeing Jesus coming walking on water, they feared and thought it was a ghost- something coming to get them, something bad, something attacking them. Really it was THEIR SAVIOR. His words capture the misdiagnosis perfectly. They thought it was a bad situation to be afaiad of, but Jesus says in verse 27: "But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid"." These words, WHEN BELIEVED by Peter allowed Him to walk over the waves. Imagine how fun that must have been! How much joy and awe before doubt and fear caused him to sink- yet even still Jesus reached down and pulled Him up. There are some that are currently misdiagnosing what's happening in their lives. The EXPECTATION/INTERPRETATION/DIAGNOSIS of what God has planned for them or what God is doing is BAD or FEARFUL. The reality, however, is that what is coming is miraculous, GOOD, and going to be like God holding you up and helping you walk over the waves. Miraculous and delightful. There is actually nothing to doubt or fear...misdiagnosis of situations is causing doubt and fear which ironically are the only things that will make you sink! It wasn't the waves or a storm that took Peter down. It was his own doubt and fear. Pray for God to reveal to you what is doubt and fear versus what is His hand lifting you above the waves. Pray for misdiagnosis to be revealed. There just may be a miracle waiting instead behind what you've misinterpreted or feared.
Misdiagnosis
Updated: Mar 11, 2020