This is a continuing theme I am calling new beginnings. There is an old hymn (you may notice I love old hymns) it asks "Does Jesus care? Does Jesus care when my heart is pained to deeply for mirth or song, when the burdens press and the cares distress and the way seems weary and long" And then the chorus says "oh! yes He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched by my grief...when the days are weary and the long nights dreary I know my Savior cares."
Have you ever felt like that hymn writer must have felt at some time in his life experiences? I think if the truth was known we all have felt like that at one time or another. And if you know the Savior then you can experience His peace...there is peace in the time of sorrow and trouble when you know the Lord. The other day I was reading rather unsytematically in the Bible, God's Holy Word and I reread again the account in Matthew of the time when the disciples were crossing the Sea of Gallilee in the middle of the night. We pick up the story in chapter 14 beginning with the 22 verse..."Immediately He made the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.23 And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, 24but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.25 And early in the morning He came walking toward them on the sea.26 But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!"And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I do not be afraid." 28 Peter...Ah, Peter, you gotta love Peter...impulsive, sometimes erratic, a bit of a fanatic, blurting out sometimes senseless statements...but he loved Jesus and he had faith and what a preacher he became...Peter answered Him,Lord , if it is You, (if it is really You) command me to come to You on the water. 29 Jesus said,Come"So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus." Peter did something that day that no one else ever did before or since with the exception of course of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter knew that it was safer out on the water with Jesus than it was staying in the boat. The boat was like that old hymn states, the one I quoted from at the beginning of this post, when the burdens press and the cares distress and the way seems weary and long...that day was a long day for these battle weary disciples for sure...rowing all night... Now we tend to criticize ol' Pete for his lack of faith and consequently falling, but have we ever taken that kind of a leap of faith? The waves were boisterous, they are out in the middle of nowhere, rowing their guts out so to speak, no doubt taking in a lot of water and Peter takes a step of faith...he gets out of the boat. Psalm 37:23,24 says "Our steps are made firm by the LORD, when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the LORD holds us by His hand." Let's pick it up again here in Matthew's gospel at verse 30..."But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened and beginning to sink, he cried out , "LORD, save me. Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him...there is much more but suffice this enough for today . If you read the rest of this story, a true story nonetheless, you will find that when Jesus got back in the boat...the wind ceased. You and I need Jesus in our boat. Cast your cares today on Him. Doin't try to get through the storm by yourself. Step out of the boat and meet Jesus...so what you may get wet...people may criticize you, they might even make fun of you for your faith in a God who cares about your circumstances, but if you ask Him, He will come in to your heart today and you can be saved. Ask Him in today.