Sinking in the Storm?

But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying,

“Lord, save me!”  Matthew 14:30

Jesus sent His disciples away so He could be alone.  He put them into a boat and commanded them to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while He went up the mountain to pray. 

As the disciples made their way across the Sea of Galilee, a great storm arose, and the ship was being battered by the wind and the waves.  To make matters worse, it was in the darkest part of the night.  They were scared ... they were exhausted from countless hours of rowing … they were feeling alone and abandoned because Jesus wasn’t there with them. 

Then, lo and behold, Jesus comes to them walking on the sea!  At first, they thought He was a ghost.  I mean, who would have thunk it?  Jesus, walking on water?  Who can walk on water?  God can. 

REMEMBER THIS – WHAT THREATENS TO SWALLOW YOU UP AND GO OVER YOUR HEAD IS ALREADY UNDER HIS FEET!  HE IS IN CHARGE OF EVERY DARK STORM!

PETER

As Jesus tells the disciples that the ghost is really Him, Peter asks the Lord, “Lord, if it is really You, command me to come to You on the water.”  And Jesus said to Peter, “Come!” 

So Pet!  WOW!   What an amazing miracle.  Peter had His eyes on Jesus, walking on the water to Him. 

And it was going great UNTIL he started looking at the wind and the waves and the stormy sea.  Once he took his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink and drown.

THE PROBLEM

The problem Peter had in the midst of the storm is the problem we all have – we take our eyes off Jesus and put them on our scary circumstances.  Whenever we do that, our heart of faith gives way to a heart of fear … and we start to sink in the storm. 

Are you facing a storm today?  Is it dark?  Have you been rowing a LONG time and getting nowhere fast?  Does it seem as if Jesus is nowhere to be found?  What are you to do?

Keep rowing and keep trusting … and remember:

1.  Your Savior is praying for you (that is what he was doing on the mountain – praying for them).

2.  Your Savior will come to you at the right time.

3.  Your Savior will use the storm to bring a great miracle.

4.  You Savior will enable you to walk on water, to overcome that storm … and you don’t have to have a sinking spell if you will keep your eyes on Jesus! 

Remember the immortal words of King Jehoshaphat as he faced the dark storm of certain annihilation from the vast armies surrounding Jerusalem and prayed: 

“O our God, will You not judge them?  For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You”(2 Chronicles 20:12).

Keep your eyes on Jesus, my friend.  Don’t focus on the storm raging around you.  God is greater than any storm, and He will bring about the victory at the proper time. 

Love,

Jeff Schreve
Pastor

jeff@fromhisheart.org
1-877-777-6171

Jeff Schreve is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He and his wife Debbie have been married for over 20 years and are blessed with three wonderful girls. Jeff began From His Heart Ministries, a radio and television ministry, in January of 2005. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no salary from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.

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