Matthew 14:22-33

"Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid."  Matthew 14:27b

Perhaps you remember as a child being afraid of the thunder and lightening.  Maybe you have experienced fear in the midst of a tornado or a hurricane.  There are also other kinds of storms in life. When the circumstances in our lives are of such a nature that everything in our lives seems to be crashing down around us,we are also experiencing a storm.  Difficult trials or storms in our lives are never something we enjoy.  God, however, often allows these trials or storms in our lives for our good.

Matthew 14:22a says, "Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side."  Notice this verse says Jesus MADE the disciples do this.  Because of their obedience to the Lord the disciples were soon going to find themselves in the midst of a storm. Storms and trials in our lives do not necessarily come, because we have been disobedient to the Lord.  Often the Lord allows storms in our lives to teach us to rely on Him instead of our own resources.  Often the Lord allows storms or trials in our lives to perfect and sanctify us.  The Lord allows these things to help us grow spiritually.

After Jesus sent His disciples out into the boat to cross to the other side, a fierce storm arose on the lake.  Though they were in the midst of this storm and thought they were alone and without Jesus' help, Jesus was still with them.  The Gospel of Mark's account of this same event says the following in chapter six verse forty-eight, "He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them."  Jesus was with the disciples even when they felt they were all alone.  Jesus saw the difficulties they were experiencing.  Jesus is also with us in the storms and trials of life.  The Lord is with us even during the times when we feel all alone!

During the middle of the night Jesus came walking out on the lake to the disciples!  When the disciples saw Jesus they were terrified, because they thought Jesus was a ghost.  Jesus, however, said to the disciples in Matthew 14:27, "Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid."  Jesus in effect said, "Cheer up!  I am more than a match for any storm, so do not be afraid!"

Then Peter, one of Jesus' disciples said to Jesus in Matthew 14:28, "Lord, if it's You,---tell me to come to You on the water."  Jesus did tell Peter to come to Him on the water.  When Peter stepped out in faith and kept His eyes focused on Jesus, Peter actually walked on water! However, then Peter took his eyes off the Lord Jesus and looked at the waves and storm around him. As a result Peter became afraid and began to sink. According to Matthew 14:31 Jesus stretched out His hand and caught Peter and said, "You of little faith---why do you doubt?"  As Peter and Jesus climbed into the boat the wind died down.  The disciples worshiped the Lord Jesus and said to Him in Matthew 14:33b, "Truly You are the Son of God."

As we experience storms and trials in our lives, we also have a choice to make.  We can either be overcome with doubt and fears, or we can keep our eyes focused on the Lord and trust Him to be with us in the storms.  We can and must trust the Lord to be with us through the storms of life. We can and must trust the Lord to calm the storms in our lives.  Then we will be able to walk triumphantly over the angry waves of the storms and trials in our lives!  Our Lord is faithful, and He will be with us through every storm of life.  We simply have to keep our eyes focused on the Lord.  He alone can calm every storm and fear in our lives.