“But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.” Matthew 14:24-25

There are times in our lives when we really need a word from the Lord. Our God is so loving and merciful that He always sends what we need at just the precise moment; my friends, He is an on-time God!  I pray that the word speaks to your heart and remind you as it does me, that God shows up and takes control of our storms… when He speaks, even the winds and the waves obey His will.

The book of Matthew in the fourteenth chapter gives us an account of Jesus sending his disciples in a ship to cross to the other side of the mountain. However, they began to encounter a raging storm. “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.” Matthew 14:25. Matthew wrote in the very next verse that Jesus came to them during the fourth watch of the night. The fourth watch is defined by the Roman watch as a time spanning from 3am – 6am.

Someone once said that the darkest hour is just before dawn; we can imagine the mindset of the disciples during this incident; but Jesus shows up right on time! “And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. Matthew 14:27. But immediately Jesus spoke unto them, saying, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

This entire incident draws our attention on the fact that Jesus is omniscient and always on time! The scriptures point out that the disciples were in serious trouble . . .they were surrounded by dangerous, and life-threatening conditions; but my Lord, and my God…Jesus shows up walking on the sea! Fear immediately grips the hearts of the disciples, because they had never seen anyone walk on water and assumed it must be a ghost…but Jesus comforts and assures them to be of good cheer and to not be afraid.

This was definitely a life changing encounter for the disciples; here are just a few things that we can surmise for this miraculous event:

1. Trouble will come in our lives even when we’re being obedient to the will of God. Jesus sent the disciples ahead of Him on the sea to the other side. Did He not know that the storm would come? Certainly, He did. Once again, we see the manifestation of God’s glory as Jesus appears to the disciples walking on water and assures, rescues, and gives them peace during the storm.
2. Fear of the unknown is a normal response, but faith can dominate our fears. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Every child of God recognizes His voice. It brings us in to subjection to His Holy power. We can not deny hearing our Saviors voice, we have the choice as to whether to obey His commands or not; but His sheep hear His voice.
3. He is omnipotent and can do the impossible. He showed up that night walking on water. This is a miraculous occurrence that is only possible with God. It gives a glimpse at His omnipotence and ability to protect us in any situation.
4. He assures and encourages us at the same time. He commands the disciples to be of good cheer and not to be afraid because it is Him. Jesus always shows up on time. The fact is He is omnipresent and is always in our midst. Our hearts can rest in assurance that He will take care of us!

The disciples learned a lesson in faith 101 that night . . . we can identify with situations in our own lives that gives witness to the faithfulness of our Great and Mighty God to come through just when we need Him the most. These types of incidents are what we can refer to as faith reports; and praise God, they can readily be pull out in times of distress, fear, and indecision. God is faithful, and we can depend on Him. The scriptures tell us in Psalms 34:17 “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

God blessings of peace and comfort now and forever!