"Jesus On Your Boat"

"Jesus On Your Boat"



"Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping." (Matthew 8:24) 

Storms, waves, rockin' and reelin,' tossed to and fro, unsteady, winds howling, dark skies; will the boat sink?  Not if you brought the One who breathes wind, who orders the Seas, and who controls the ebony shadows of darkness  ...  not if you've got "Jesus On Your Boat."

"Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking

on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on

the lake, they were terrified.  'It's a ghost,' they said,

and cried out in fear."

(Matthew 14:25)

It should be noted that "before dawn," Jesus Christ, our Lord, was up, awake and walking around on boisterous waters, like we would take a stroll on the hiking trails.  Well, He "made" the waters; He formed the lake; He can calm them, stir them, roil them, or dry them up; He speaks to elements, shouts the thunders, points with streaks of lightning, and exhales the powers of wind  ...  so what's a little morning two-step on the frothy chilly waves?  

We're living in a very treacherous time, with earthquakes almost daily all over the world, freaky storms, raging fires, tormenting threats from Nations, unknown viruses, rampant disease, famine in much of the world, hearts failing, wars wounding, teens running, immorality parading  ...  and the question is:  Is Jesus Christ on your boat?  He is the only One who can turn it off, speak it still, touch your disease, find your teen, feed your body, and save your soul.  What the world needs now is the Lord Jesus Christ; He will gladly board your boat!

"Lord, if it is you," Peter replied, "Tell me to

come to you on the water."  "Come," he said.

(Matthew 14:28-29)

Do you hear it?  Jesus Christ is calling out to every single Nation, kindred and tongue; He's beckoning the world with one last call; He's holding out His arms  ...  He's in the storm; He's in the fire; He's in the lonely howling of the winds  ...  He's saying, "Come!"  We don't have to fight these "waves" alone; when Jesus is on our boat, we have nothing at all to fear.  If He's on your boat, You can sleep during the storm ...

Peter actually walked on the water until he realized what he was doing and the flesh overcame the spirit; then, he sank.  We do that sometimes; we shouldn't be so hard on Peter.  We've surfed the height of the Spirit until we were blindsided by a billowing wave, and we seemed to sink into the abyss, not seeing clearly in the murky waters of doubt and fear.  But, Jesus took our hand, set us upright upon our board, to surf another wave, and conquer the deep one more time.  

"For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light we see light."

(Psalm 36:9)

Isn't it wonderful to know that no matter how dark it gets, or how high the waves, we can run to the light?  The Lord Jesus Christ is that light!  He is the lighthouse brightening our path, showing us the way, directing us through the darkness, and guiding us with the light of His everlasting love.  We will endure these rough times; we will make it.  Like the song says, "Through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus; I've learned to trust in God."  

"He reveals deep and hidden things;

he knows what lies in darkness, and

light dwells with him."

(Daniel 2:22)

It is wise to submit ourselves to the only One in the universe who knows "what lies in darkness."  We do not know what tomorrow holds, nor what could happen in the next two hours for that matter.  It is so comforting to be forgiven, to rest in the arms of Jesus, to be filled with His Spirit, and baptized in His name.  We can face anything in this life with Almighty God, Jesus Christ our Lord, on our boat.  There have been times I was made late for odd reasons, only to find that a terrible wreck was in the direct path I was taking, but I came up on it minutes after it happened.  I prayed for the people in those wrecks, and then I thanked God for His protection over me.  He knows "the hidden things."   

      "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and

wrapped it in thick darkness.  When I fixed limits for it and

set its doors and bars in place.  When I said, 'this far you

may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves

halt?'  Have you ever given orders to the morning, or

shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the 

edges and shake the wicked out of it?"  (Job 38)  

Now you know why the waters of the oceans and seas go only so far and stop.  There IS a God, and His name is Jesus Christ; He rules the day; He rules the night; He calms the Seas, and halts the waves; He raises dead people and makes eyeballs out of mudcakes; He's ferocious with temple gamblers and calls hypocrites vipers; He melts with emotion when tresses dry his feet; He weeps when he brings paradise back to earth; He's marvels at astounding faith and crumbles in humility to feed the dogs under the table; He's the Wisest, the Greatest, the Omnipotent; He's a lover, a Savior, a God, and a Man, the Alpha, Omega, and the sweetest of whispers in the night  ...  He's Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and He's coming back! 

If you're flailing about in the storms of life, trouble on every side, and you don't know where to turn; clear out a bunk, hoist up the white flag, and don't hesitate to get "Jesus On Your Boat!" 

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)