"God’s Provision"

22)Jesus quickly made his disciples get into a boat and cross to the other side ahead of him while he sent the people away. 23)After sending the people away, he went up a mountain to pray by himself. When evening came, he was there alone.  24)The boat, now hundreds of yards from shore, was being thrown around by the waves because it was going against the wind.   25)Between three and six o’clock in the morning, he came to them. He was walking on the sea. 26)When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and began to scream because they were afraid.  27)Immediately, Jesus said, “Calm down! It’s me. Don’t be afraid!”  28)Peter answered, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 29) Jesus said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30)But when he noticed how strong the wind was, he became afraid and started to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”  31)Immediately, Jesus reached out, caught hold of him, and said, “You have so little faith! Why did you doubt?”  32)When they got into the boat, the wind stopped blowing. 33)The men in the boat bowed down in front of Jesus and said, “You are truly the Son of God.” 34)They crossed the sea and landed at Gennesaret.  Matt. 14: 22-34

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

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.

First, the Father gives Christians His presence and the promise that He will never leave (Heb. 13:5-6). This is, perhaps, the greatest gift because from this awareness, He offers a sense of comfort, courage, and confidence.

Second, 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 and benefit of a difficulty will becomes obvious, while in other cases, it may never be clear.

Third, the Father offers believers the potential to grow. Hardships are exercises in trust and times to learn more fully who God is and how great His power and love are.

Fourth, God doesn’t necessarily keep believers from suffering or disappointment. Stopping the storms may be our goal, but from His point of view, the adversity may be necessary to mature us spiritually. But the Father offers protection by staying with us in the struggle. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are promised that God indwells us and will never leave. What’s more, we have assurance that nothing can separate us from His love (Rom. 8:38-39). So our ever-present God walks with us through the hardships, providing guidance and speaking truth into the situation.

Fifth, while difficulties cause many people anxiety, believers have God’s peace. This inner serenity does not depend on whether circumstances improve. Rather, it’s a result of our relationship with Him. Our main focus shouldn’t be on fixing the problem but on our dependence upon God.

As we recognize the Lord’s provision during trials remember to express gratitude for God’s hand in your life and the way He will use the adversity (1Thess. 5: 18). Doing so will enable us to fix our eyes on Him rather than on our circumstance. We often don’t know what the purpose is for each ensuing trial, but we do know that our God is good and trustworthy. Hardships are chances to trust your Creator and to know Him better. Of course, they are painful, but don’t waste the opportunity to become all the Lord has planned for you.
 
Be Blessed!
 
Dawn