"What Time I Am Afraid, I Will Trust In Thee.”

I want to remind you that these were experienced fisherman. But when the Lord came to the disciples, walking upon the water, they thought He was a spirit, and they almost went berserk!

What a comfort it must have been, when they recognized His voice. Because then they knew that help had arrived.

When Jesus got there, He quickly identified Himself unto the disciples. He said, "It is I."

This is an Emphatic Personal Pronoun A statement of identification.

Illus: It is like Jesus saying, “Hey fellows, why are you afraid. I am greater than the storm you are facing, THE GREAT I AM IS HERE!”

He was reminding those men who He is.

Illus: We used to sing the chorus with these words,

“Got any rivers you think are uncrossable.

Got any mountains you can’t tunnel though.

God specializes in things thought impossible

And He will do what no other can do.”

How fortunate we are to serve such a wonderful God.

And as we face the midst of the storm, he says:

• Matt. 28:20b “...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

• Heb. 13:5b “...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Illus: When the Lord says that He will not forsake us, the term literally means that He won't run out on us when the chips are down. You can trust Him - He is present to help.

All we need to do is place our faith in the God who loves and cares for us.

• HE DEALT WITH THEIR FEARS, and

• HE DEALT WITH THEIR FAITH.

Conclusion:

When the storms of life are raging, always remember that Jesus is there for you.

So often, we are like the man who had to cross a river of ice. He was afraid it was thin ice and it might cave in. He began to crawl on his stomach, inch by inch, and almost got to the other side, when a man came by him riding a sled.

He then realized that all his fears were in vain. It will be the same for us.

One day we will see the Lord Jesus in all His greatness, and we will realize that all our worries had been in vain.

I want to leave you with this verse of Scripture. The psalmist said in Psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

The best place to be in the midst of a hurricane is in the eye. The trouble is that we cannot stay in the eye. So God would have us know that with Him – even in the midst of the storm - there is a stillness and quietness that is unbelievable. God wants us to find that quietness!

I. HE DEALT WITH THEIR FEARS

II. HE DEALT WITH THEIR FAITH