Water Walking In The Storms Of Life.

WATER WALKING IN THE STORMS OF LIFE.

Matthew 14:22-33.

MATTHEW 14:22-24. Jesus told the disciples to get into a ship and go to the other side of the lake while He dismissed the people. Then He went into a mountain to pray. By the time evening had come, the ship was in the midst of the lake, and He alone on land. But He could see the ship in the midst of the lake, tossed with waves in a contrary wind.

The church at times seems like a boat tossing about on the waves of uncertainty and doubt, fearing that she may yet be irrelevant to those whom she has left on the shore, oftentimes seeming to lack the Lord’s presence. How dark the darkness feels when we find ourselves adrift in a hostile world without the felt presence of Jesus!

Sometimes the storms of life seem to overtake us, even when we are being obedient. Such is life. Such is the Christian life. We are not called to a life of ease, but one that is full of dangers and pitfalls - only we have the assurance that God is with us to see us through.

MATTHEW 14:25. Now it is the fourth watch of the night, and all does not seem well. We watch, and wait, and pray - and suddenly relief comes. It is the Lord, but we do not recognise Him straight away.

MATTHEW 14:26. A figure appearing in the darkness, walking on the water in the middle of a stormy inland sea. This would alarm even experienced fishermen like Andrew and Peter, James and John, who were familiar with those waters.

The sea can be such a frightening, unpredictable element that even hardened sailors find themselves overwhelmed at times. At first, they did not know that it was Jesus, and they were afraid.

When He draws near in the midst of the storms of our life, we do not always recognise Him. We, like the disciples in that little ship, are troubled and fearful.

If we enter the darkness without our Lord Jesus, this magnifies our terror. When He draws near this too, inexplicably, gives rise to fear.

Individually, when we are tossed about on the storms of life, and we sense a darkness which suggests that the Lord is not with us, even then He draws near. At first, we might not recognise Him. But rest assured: He is with us in all our troubles.

MATTHEW 14:27. The Lord knows our fears, and brings a word of good cheer. With a gentle, “It is I,” He reveals Himself to us and vanquishes fear. The disciples no doubt recognised His voice, which would have had a calming effect.

MATTHEW 14:28-29. Impetuous as ever, Peter wished to join Jesus walking on the water. Peter here represents the church, us, as we walk with Jesus. So Peter, endued by power from on High, took his tentative first steps onto the water - and as long as his eyes remained upon Jesus, he was able to proceed.

MATTHEW 14:30. It was in the moment of taking his eyes off Jesus, that Peter began to sink.

As with Peter, so with us: taking our eyes off Jesus causes even the faithful to fear, and to begin to sink. It is so easy to see the problems around us and to feel threatened by them. Yet even in the moment of despair, we raise our eyes again, and cry with Peter, “Lord, save me.”

MATTHEW 14:31. Peter’s “little faith” would yet face some pitfalls, but Jesus’ hand was always ready to pull him through.

If we keep our eyes upon Jesus, we need not sink under His weighty teaching. Retrospectively, we who have begun the Christian walk know that He will see us through to the end. Yet at times we lose sight of that fact.

It is then that we discover the Lord's presence is still near, ready to pick us up when we sink beneath the billows and waves of this life which seek to consume us. He is ‘an ever present help in the day of trouble.’

MATTHEW 14:32. Not only so, but when Jesus stepped into the ship, the storm was immediately dispersed. If we are closing Him out of our lives today, maybe we should invite Him back in!

MATTHEW 14:33. After that we may discover, as did the disciples, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”

Thus faith is renewed day by day in our experience of the storms of life.