To God Be The Glory 4

"V22 “And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.”

Carefully notice that Jesus was still leading the disciples to do what He told them to.  If Jesus says get in the ship and go to the other side – watch this.

He makes it possible

He gives you the provision

He protects you  

He gives you power – supernatural intervention

V23 “And when He had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone.

V24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

Right here is where the faithless fall out.  Their mission takes them in the midst of the sea, the waves are big, they are tossed all around and the wind was contrary. 

In your life, you can sometimes be in the middle of a mission and the bottom looks like it is going to fall out.  It can’t be done!  I am overwhelmed!  You are overcome with the waves of life. 

If not for your faith, you would cave in at this point and allow your circumstances to overtake you.

But with faith, you hold on and keep working at it.  You hold onto your faith.  Doubt comes in and fills you with fear, but you do not give up.  You remain loyal and committed and your faith wins out over the doubt and fear.  Your faith sees you through despite the possible outcome.

V25 “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.”

Take special note of this fourth watch.  It is significant.  The fourth watch was between 3 am and sunrise.  It was the last minute.  Jesus allowed the disciples to go through the tossing and turning, the wind and the waves – before He went to them.

Jesus is going to let you to go through the storms of life too.  He will stop them, but not until the purpose of the storm runs its course.  You need to see this clearly so that you do not get filled with fear pre-maturely. 

There may come a time when it seems just too much to handle, but what I have found is that  most people give up far before the fourth watch.  As soon as things get a little tough and a breeze comes in and begins to rock their boat, they throw I the towel.

Jesus isn’t coming to bail you out until the third watch and you need to remember it.  It will serve you well.  It takes loyalty and commitment to keep your faith in tact during the first and second watch.

V26 – 27 “And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit, and they cried out for fear.”

V27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid.”

Every time you are in the fray, doing the work you were called to, in the middle of the storm, tossed to and fro with the wind - Jesus speaks to you and tells you, “Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid.”

Here you see God’s protection.

  Excerpt from To God Be The Glory by Keith C. Powell Copyright 2016