Through The Trials October 21, 2015

Matthew 14:22-33     22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.26 and when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Matthew 9:2     Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

Matthew 28:5     The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

Matthew 28:10     Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Mark 6:50     because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

Revelation 1:17     When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

No one gets through life without trials. Realistically, you are currently in a storm, just getting out of one, or about to enter a turbulent time. That is the bad news. Thankfully, we serve a good God who provides—even through dark times.

Today’s passage tells of a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus provides for us today just as He did for His disciples in that unsettling situation. Today, we will focus on ways that He does this.

• The Father offers Christians His presence and the promise that He will never leave (Heb. 13:5-6). To the extent we are mindful of these wonderful provisions, we are able to live with a sense of comfort and courage, regardless of our circumstances. What an amazing gift!

• The Lord blesses His children with a pathway through trouble. He is in total control of our storm and will use the trial for His purpose. We may not understand, but we can trust His hand to guide us and accomplish good. Sometimes the reason or benefit of a difficulty becomes obvious, while in other cases, it may never be clear.

• The Father offers believers the potential to grow. Hardships serve as exercises in trust, and they allow us to learn more fully how great God’s power and love are.

No one enjoys trials. But remember to express gratitude for God’s hand in your life. Hardships offer the chance to trust your Creator and know Him better. Even though they are painful, don’t waste the opportunity trials offer to become all the Lord has planned for you.