When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.                                                                                                   Isaiah 43:2

I remember taking swimming lessons at the public pool in my hometown as a child.  I listened intently to my instructor as he demonstrated while telling me how to use my body to push the water in one direction so I could glide on top in the opposite direction to get to the other side.  We eventually learned and practiced all the strokes of swimming—in the shallow end. 

Then he took us to the deep end of the pool.  “Jump in,” he said, “use what you have learned to dive in and swim in the deep end of the pool.”  What now, you want me to do what?  Suddenly I felt as if all the learning of previous days of practice in the shallow end completely went out the window of my mind.  Panic set it.

I looked over the deep water where I knew my feet would not securely touch the bottom while my head remained above the water and panic grew.  All the trust I had in my teacher was forgotten.  My knees were weak.  “I can’t do this” the voice in my head kept shouting.  But the teacher shouted louder, “You can do this.  I’ve taught you what to do.  Use what you have learned. It doesn’t matter how deep the water is, it’s still water and you can swim in it and on top of it.”  “AND, I’ll be there to help you if you need it.”

Matthew 8:23-27, The Message

^23-25 Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat—and he was sound asleep! They roused him, pleading, “Master, save us! We’re going down!”

²⁶ Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became smooth as glass.

²⁷The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. “What’s going on here? Wind and sea stand up and take notice at his command!”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

I totally get you, disciples!  Even though most of you were experienced fishermen on the sea, you still panicked at the waves sweeping over the sides of the boat in the deep waters! 

We read this familiar bible story of Jesus silencing the waves and calming the seas by his word alone and we sometimes wonder why the disciples were “astonished”, amazed that He could do what they asked Him to do— “Save us!”  But then we realize we have the same response to God’s glory at work in our lives when we pass through the deep waters of overwhelming worry and anxieties over troubles we cannot control or fix.

We don’t look for trouble.  We don’t plan for trouble.  But troubles find us and unexpectedly rise up behind us, before us and all around us while we stand helpless right in the middle of these deep waters of trouble. All we feel is panic.  All we can think  to do is exactly what the disciples did instinctively—cry out in panic, “Jesus, save us,” right?!  None of us have a faith that is yet totally perfected.  Faith in God grows with each challenge we as we go through the deep waters with His promise, “I will be with you, you will not drown.”

Troubles in life are like playing the game Wackamole.  When you wack one mole of a problem down, another one pops up.  We can spend a lot of energy trying to wack at these problems or trust in Jesus to take us through the problems.

Later, after many more faith lessons, Jesus will be taken soon to complete his mission on earth to save us completely from all our sins by being nailed to a cross.  Imagine Jesus looking into the eyes of His devoted disciples to verify and reassure what they have learned as they jump into the deep end of the pool of life without His physical presence!

“Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”  John 16:33 MSG

As we go through deep waters may we be deeply at peace with the One and Only who can calm the sea with one word. 

And is it really so surprising that Jesus, God’s Son, who was with God as He created the world we live in, with merely word commands, can indeed calm the sea He Himself created?  I don’t think so.

“Let there be light, and there was light…” Genesis 1:3

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Lord,

You are life.  You are Hope.  You are indeed Light in this dark world.  You created us and know us inside and out.  You love us unconditionally.  You teach us real faith that lasts by taking us through our trials and troubles on earth.  And You are always with us as we go through it all. Thank you for saving us, growing, and maturing us as we place all our trust in you.  I believe.  You are amazing and I am yours!

In Jesus Name, For Your Glory, Amen