April 14, 2010, John 6

Key Verse:

But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."

(John 6:20)

Central Truth:

God NEVER makes us face the storm alone.

THE SAME BOAT

Strong winds are blowing and the waters are growing increasingly rough. The disciples are out on the sea in the dark, feeling alone because Jesus had not joined them yet. As the storm grew, so did their fear. Suddenly they saw Jesus walking toward the boat ON THE WATER!!!! Then (the Bible says in v.19) they were terrified. Well, Duh...

Waters were parted multiple times for God's servants. God parted the Red Sea for Moses. He parted the Jordan River 3 different times: once for Joshua, once for Elija, and once for Elisha. But in all of these cases the waters were parted so that those who crossed would walk between the parted water where men normally walk... ON THE GROUND! Jesus does not need to part the waters to walk where mortals walk. He is the ruler of land and sea, and He simply walks out on the water in the midst of the storm and says to His disciples, "It is I; do not be afraid." He did not wait for the storm to calm naturally before He joined them. He didn't even calm the storm himself and then go out to meet them. He went to them in the middle of the storm so they would know that they were not alone.

I've always heard that the more things change the more they stay the same, and it is so true. Whether we are on the Sea of Galilee, waiting on the results of that much needed job, or watching someone we love fight for their life... we are all in the same boat. We all know that storms are inevitable, and even though sometimes they seem like more than we can handle, we know that we are not alone. Still, from time to time, we are all frightened like the disciples and cry out in fear. However, if we close our eyes and still our hearts and our minds, we just may be able to block out the howling winds and the crashing waves and hear the most frequent command in the Bible..."Do not be afraid."