Let's turn back to Matthew chapter
14. We've already read the verses
describing this miracle on the Red Sea after the miracle on
the land. We also read the account of it
in John's Gospel. And while I want us to look at
this miracle on the stormy sea and see by God's grace and help
allow us to see what precious lessons it has for us. And while
we're doing it, keep in mind this question, this handle. I'll
give you a handle. Isn't that what the CB radio
operators called their name, their handle? Something to hold
to. Remember when that was so popular?
But here's the handle. From verse 31, our Lord asked
this question of Peter. As he reached forth, the great
shepherd and picked up the fearful sheep. He asked him this question,
O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? The title of
a message from those words are these, Why Do We Doubt? I can't criticize Peter. I can't
really find fault in Peter, because I see Larry in Peter, don't you? Why do we doubt? The Lord asked
Peter another question after this in chapter 16, and I want
you, as I've been encouraging you, I hope you've noticed, to
follow me in your Bible. To follow me in your Bible, your
device, whatever you're using, use it and read these scriptures
with me. In Matthew chapter 16, our Lord
asked Peter another question. He at first in verse 15 of Matthew
16 said, but whom say ye that I am? He asked the disciples.
And the blessed answer Peter gave was this. In verse 16, Peter
answered and said, thou art the Christ. You're the Christ. He didn't waver. He didn't stutter. He didn't hesitate. I don't see
any evidence of any doubt on Peter's part, do you? He says,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And look how
our Lord responded to that. And Jesus answered and said unto
him, verse 17, Blessed art thou, Simon bar Jonah. Simon, son of
Jonah, you're a blessed man. For flesh and blood have not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Now you compare Peter's confession
of his faith in Christ there in Matthew 16 to what our Lord
had to say to him here in Matthew chapter 14. It seems like a paradox, doesn't
it? Is it strange that the same man
can have in his heart at the same time true faith and unbelief? It may be strange, it may seem
strange, only to those who don't know our God. Every true believer
identifies with this problem, doesn't he? It's a paradox, a
seeming contradiction, in appearance but not in reality. For my own
case, even though I can say it, for the very same reason that
our Lord told Peter he could say it, because God revealed
his son to me. God did something for me. Otherwise
I could never say that I know whom I have believed. I could pitch tent right there.
My, so talk about Thanksgiving. Larry Criss, son of James Criss,
my father's done something for you. And now by that precious
gift of faith, I can truly say, by the grace of God, I can say
I know whom I have believed. I know that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God. And yet, I have to confess this
as well. I know that this is so. There
is at that same moment that I make that confession such a degree,
such an element of unbelief in my heart. Like the father of
that poor, possessed son that brought him to Christ, if you
can do anything, help us. Help us was the cry of his soul,
of his inmost heart. And our Lord said, well if you
can believe, can you believe? All things are possible to those
that believe. And that poor man cried out,
and I see Larry here too, don't you? Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief. Both those
things are true. Both those things are so. And
I'm certain that this is one of those struggles that would
be included in that battle that Paul describes in Romans 7. that long list of conflicts would
contain this battle of faith and unbelief, would it not? Would
that not be true of unbelief and faith? As in chapter 7 of
Romans, verse 21, Paul said, I find in the law, and I've heard
men say, and commentators, certain commentators, I won't tell you
who they are because they're not worth reading. But they said,
now Paul was not speaking as a believer. Yes, most certainly
he wrote this as a believer. Of course he did. But he's looking
back when he was a lost man and when he was a self-righteous
Pharisee. Oh, I beg your pardon. Paul doesn't say, I used to be.
He said, right now, I am. present tense, at this very moment,
as an aged apostle, as a man who had been caught up to third
heaven, as a man that was used of God in a mighty and glorious
way, as a brand plucked from the burning, as Saul of Tarsus
brought down to Damascus Road and saw Jesus Christ face to
face, yet he said, right now, As I write these words under
inspiration of God's Holy Spirit, oh, right now at this moment,
I find a law that when I would do good, evil is present with
me. Not used to be, it is right now. For I delight in the law of God
after the inward man, absolutely. But, but, I see another law in
my members, warring against the law of my mind. and bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
And this is what makes a believer cry out, this battle, this struggle
against the old nature and the new, against faith and unbelief. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? Doesn't that sound
familiar? Doesn't that sound familiar?
I want so much, and I believe every Christian does, every true
believer does. It doesn't mean much, it doesn't
mean anything to a professor, just a professor, but to a possessor
of God's grace, they want so much to honor God. Don't you,
John Copeland? You want to honor your God. As
you make your journey through this world, as pilgrim and a
stranger, you want to honor your God. and simply believing God,
trusting Him is honoring Him. Is that not what we find in Scripture?
What a joy, what a joy it must have been for Abraham to look
for that city. Oh, he counted it an honor. He
left his father's house He left his homeland because God promised
him another dwelling, another city, another place, and he was
more than willing. He counted it an honor when God
separated him and called him by his grace. He counted it his
highest honor to obey him. And he went forth, we read, not
knowing whether he went. Only this, God had prepared for
him a city. We read this concerning Abraham
who has been called the father of faith in Romans chapter 4
verse 19. And being not weak in faith.
I read this last night several times and I prayed every time
I did, God help me to be like that. Help me to be like that. Grant me that grace. Help me
to honor you, my God. Help me not to doubt so much.
Help me not to worry so much. Help me not to be at my wit's
end so much. Let me live like a man who believes
what he professes and acts like it. Help me to honor you by believing
you. Being not weak in faith, he considered
not his own body now dead. When he was about 100 years old,
neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, he staggered not. Oh, what
a glorious picture that is, Billy. Oh, see Abraham. My soul, Caesar
never looked so glorious. Kings of Egypt never looked so
glorious as poor faithful Abraham dwelling on the plains in those
tents. Oh, how glorious he is. What
a sight he is. He stands upright, believing
his God. Oh, he is an example of honoring
God, because he staggered not. He didn't stagger. He didn't
gripe. He didn't complain. He didn't
doubt. Oh, he staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith. And what
did that do? Giving glory to God. That's a strong phrase. Giving
glory to God. How in the world can a sinful
man give glory to God? By believing God. By trusting
God. That's how we honor him. Abraham,
we go on to read in Romans 4 verse 21, and being fully persuaded
that what he had promised he was able also to perform. That's what we just sang. Lord,
I would clasp my hand in thine, neither murmur nor repine content
at whatever lot I see, knowing that God through Jordan leadeth
me. Something like that. Oh, that's
what Abraham did. For example, concerning this
wondrous fact of scripture, that Christ has by himself, Hebrews
1 and 3, purged our sins. That's just a fact. That's a
glorious truth. He did it. By himself. By himself. And also this. Here's another glorious truth.
Here's a fact. that God made Him, Christ, who
knew no sin, sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness
of God in Him with such clear, clear, absolute declarations
of God's Word, there's no excuse for a believer to doubt that. Why do I doubt that? When I do,
why is that so? When I'm told The sinner that
believes on Jesus Christ has everlasting life. When I hear
my great shepherd say, Larry Chris, you'll never perish. I'm
your shepherd. You're bought with a price. I'm
going to prepare a place for you. And Larry Chris, if I'm
going to prepare a place, you can take this to the bank. I'm
coming back to get you and take you back to that place. And yet,
there's this struggle with unbelief. As Mr. Coplady put it, he wrote,
From whence this fear and unbelief? Hath not the Father put to grief
his spotless Son for me? And will the righteous judge
of men condemn me for that debt of sin, which, Lord, was charged
to thee? Well, that's unthinkable. Of
course God won't do that. If God would punish any sinner
for the same sins that Jesus Christ bore in his body on the
tree that he punished his son for, he would cease to be God.
He would be a tyrant. He wouldn't be God anymore. He
wouldn't be faithful anymore. He had no right to rule anymore.
You see how ridiculous such a thought is? And Mr. Toplady went on to say, Complete
atonement thou hast made, and to the utmost farthing paid,
Whatever your people owed, how then can wrath on me take place
if sheltered in his righteousness and sprinkled with his blood?
If thou hast my discharge procured, and fully in my room endured
the whole of wrath divine, payment God cannot twice demand, first
at my bleeding surety's hand, and then again at mine. Amen, Augustus, top lady. Amen. In light of those glorious truths,
how can I? I hope you notice the title,
Why Do We Doubt? That includes your pastor, and
especially your pastor. How can we have anything less
than a good hope through grace in the light of those glorious
truths? But we do. And when we do, God's Word tells
us what to do, as Peter did. Look back to Christ. Mr. Toplady covered that point as
well in the last verse of that hymn. He tells us when you have
those doubts, those fears, when you're wondering, fearful, anxious,
about your soul's eternal welfare, turn back. Turn back. Turn then, my soul, unto thy
rest. The merits of thy great high
priest has brought your liberty. Trust in his efficacious blood,
nor fear thy banishment from God, since Jesus died for thee. O indeed! That being so, why
do I doubt? Should I doubt, Should I doubt
because sin abounds that God's grace doesn't also much more
abound? Yes, it does. Shall I measure
God's mercy by the yardstick of my own merit? Well, it's no
wonder I'm fearful if that's what I do. No, if I do that,
it's no wonder that I begin to sink in fear and doubt. Oh, but on the other hand, When
God gives me grace, when I measure my acceptance with God with this
glorious measurement, be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath
forgiven you. John, I can rest. Oh, when I
read that, God, for Christ's sake, it sounds like nothing
about my salvation is determined by me. That's exactly right. Now the self-righteous man says,
oh, don't say that. Don't say that. The man who's
going about in his ignorance to establish his own righteousness,
when he says, he hears, all you're doing is exactly filthy rags
before God. It profits you nothing. As a
matter of fact, it's a stink in God's nostrils. Oh, don't
tell me that. You're destroying my foundation.
Oh, but for a true believer, especially one who's fearful,
going through a struggle, having his doubts when he hears God,
for Christ's sake, has forgiven you? Oh, my soul, rest easy. If that's true and it is, relax,
at ease. How can it be anything other
than well with your soul? Why, if I can trust, the Lord
Jesus with things eternal, my immortal soul, my everlasting
salvation, my home in heaven. Why do I find it difficult to
trust Him with temporal things, lesser things? What am I going
to eat? What am I going to drink? What
am I going to clothe myself with? I read somewhere, I've not forgot
our text, I've read somewhere that our Lord's parables were
His spoken lessons, but His miracles were His active lessons. I like
that. I would agree with that. And
how loudly, how loudly does this miracle proclaim that we just
read? How loudly does it manifest,
proclaim our Lord's majesty? Behold your God. His power, His
mercy, His sympathy for His own. He reached forth. He didn't chide
Peter. He didn't blame Peter. He gently
took him up. Why did you doubt? I hope God
will be pleased to make His word effectual to us this hour and
that we, like these disciples, after the consideration of this
miracle, that it will have the effect on us like it had on him.
And the storms that we pass through, that he will surely bring us
through, will have this glorious effect of a truth, thou art the
Son of God. Nobody else could do what you've
done. Nobody else could bring me up out of that horrible pit.
Nobody else could keep me like you've had. Nobody else could
stop me from going away. with the religious multitude.
Nobody could preserve me. Nobody but you would put up with
me. He giveth, and he giveth, and
he giveth more grace. Notice, first of all, the time
that this miracle took place. I think that's instructive. In
verse 23, look at what it said. And when he had sent away the
multitudes, he went up into a mountain to pray. And when the evening
was come, He was there alone. The disciples had just witnessed,
they weren't just witnesses to it, they were partakers in it.
Our Lord used them. We read up there in verse 19,
after He blessed the bread, the few loaves and fishes, He gave
the loaves to the disciples and the disciples to the multitude.
What an honor! What an honor. He used them.
He used them. He did the multiplying. He gave
it to the disciples, and they had the blessed, blessed privilege
of passing it out to 5,000 men besides women and children. There
were probably at least 15,000 people. And John, we read in
his account of that, Jesus knew what he would do. He knew what
he would do on the land. And blessed be his name, he knows
what he's going to do on the stormy sea. He always knows,
doesn't he? The disciples were partaker of
that. What an honor that was. What
an honor. That's another message. But I
encourage you to read what we failed to do previous to them
going out on the sea. in verses 15 through 21. My soul. What you would have thought after
being witness to that, after taking part in that, after being
used by Jesus Christ in that miracle, they'd have never had
another doubt. A few hours later, they see him
and think he's a ghost. Mark tells us their hearts were
hardened. They'd forgotten. about the loaves,
the miracle, rather, of the loaves. Again, in John's Gospel, concerning
that account prior to this, the feeding of the multitude, we
read, when Jesus lifted up his eyes and saw a great company,
my, can you just picture that? Fifteen thousand? What a great
company come to him. He said to Philip, when shall
we buy bread that these may eat? And then we have this sweet reason
for asking. This he said to prove him, for
he himself knew what he would do. Did he ever. Did he ever. And he employed them to do it. Whether it's a bright day, he
still has his way. What a bright day that was in
a disciple's life. Oh, I wonder how often In times
of distress, Peter would say to Andrew, now listen, remember
what he did? We don't need to fear. He'll
take care of it. Remember that day? Remember how
he fed that multitude? They're sent away by Christ and
soon find themselves on a stormy sea. Just so quick. Now you can
identify with that, can't you? My soul, how quickly we can go
from the mountaintop down into the valley. just in a matter
of moments. They go from that bright, glorious
day of service to a dark sea, raging, waves, wind, a storm. And to make it worse, how could
it be worse, Larry? Again, in John's account, we
read these words. When the evening was now come,
his disciples went down into the sea. it entered into a ship
and went over to the sea toward Capernaum, and it was now dark,
and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of
a great, great wind that blew." I tell you right now, if I would
take the time to share it with you, we would be here the rest
of the day, me telling you about times that it was now dark in
my life. And Jesus was not come to me. And man was my little ship being
tossed to and fro. That bright day ended in a troubled
night. Why? Why did Jesus Christ do
that? Several reasons. All good. All
for their good. But I believe one was this. Jesus
knew they were in more danger by being favored by the crowd
than by the fury of the storm. Remember, they wanted to make
him king. The disciples wanted to have a part of that. They
kept looking for him to set up a kingdom and give them a prominent
place. They had to learn that the stormy night and the bright
day both worked together for their good and his glory. They would soon see with their
own eyes. The Lord has his way in the whirlwind
and in the storm. Again, I wonder how often they
looked back after our Lord went back to glory and encouraged
one another by remembering what he did. Our Lord said the Holy
Spirit will bring these things to your remembrance. God teach
me, teach me that he, that is God, that keepeth Israel shall
neither slumber nor sleep. That's what the psalmist said.
If God stays awake, I don't need to. I don't need to. The Lord knew where they were.
In Mark's account, I think it is, we read that Jesus saw them. He went into a mountain to pray.
Their mouths out into the midst of a stormy sea. But we read
that Jesus saw them. He saw them rowing hard. He saw them exerting all their
energy and just not making any headway. He saw the contrary
winds and the storm. He saw their fears. He saw their
hearts. He took it all in in a glance. He knew who they were. He knew
where they were. He knew how they were. He knew
all about the storm. He sent it. And he knew what
he would do. The Son of God is not limited
by place, by time, or by circumstances. He's always the same, isn't He?
He's always the same. Whether it's history, when the
sun is shining so bright, Or whether it's tonight, when the
winds blow and the waves roll, it's the same to him who changes
not. They asked Abraham concerning
the messengers of God, hearing Sarah laugh in her tent when
they came to him with the promise that God shall give them a son. Sarah laughed. She laughed. Remember reading that in Genesis?
Sarah laughed. She didn't think to her. Abraham, why did Sarah
laugh? Why'd she laugh? Is anything
too hard for God? Is anything too hard for God?
The ancient Egyptians, one commentator says that they had an emblem.
If they wanted to express the impossibility of something, they
used an emblem of two feet. Just two feet walking on water. That's what they use to demonstrate
impossible. Forget about it. And that was
certainly true of all their gods, individually or put together.
But not the one true God. With God, nothing shall be impossible. Our Lord said to Jeremiah, when
he was captive, Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.
Is there anything too hard for me? Well, I need to ask myself
that every day. Is there anything too hard for
my God? What could be too hard for God
Almighty? What could it be? Think about
that a minute. Remember, remember, is anything
too hard for God? Remember, I was sinking deep
in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within,
sinking to rise no more, but the Master, oh, the Master, The
master of the sea heard my despairing cry, and from the waters left
it me. Now safe am I. Christ left it me. I feel like
singing. Like that woman in the bulletin,
discordant, not being able to carry a tune or not. One old
brother said he was criticized for his singing because he didn't
have much talent in that regard, but he was a believer. And he
responded to his critics this way. God made the nightingale,
but he also made the crow. And if I can't sing like a nightingale,
I'll sing like a crow, but I'm going to sing to my God. Because
of great things he had done, Christ left to me. When nothing
else could help, Christ left to me. Now look at this picture
here. Another picture. Verse 28 and
29. And Peter answered him, saying,
Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee on the water. And he
said, come, come. And when Peter came down out
of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Oh, what
a beautiful picture. Now, they say a picture's worth
a thousand words. What a beautiful picture. Peter,
at least at this time, looks like Abraham, doesn't he? He's
honoring God. Oh, what a glorious picture.
I want to imitate him, don't you? I want to be like that.
The Lord said, Peter, come. That's all he said. Come. That
command, that word, contains an implicit pledge that Peter
would not be engulfed in the raging waters. Our Lord didn't
say, Peter, come and drown. Peter, step out of the boat,
come and perish. No, he said come. Period. Period. I learned from that, as Paul
said, I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me. Peter
goes to his Savior walking on the water in the very midst of
the storm. The best part of this picture is Peter keeping his
eyes on Jesus Christ. That's the lesson. Simple. I wonder if I've ever learned
it. You know when my biggest trouble happens? When I take
my eyes off Christ. As long as I've got my eyes on
Christ. Oh yeah, that doesn't stop storms.
But it stops me from setting down in self-pity, wondering
and doubting and dishonoring my God. Oh, the remedy for that
is just as Peter did. Long as he kept his eyes fixed
on Christ. Can't you just see him? Can't
you just see Peter? So he was a fisherman. Before Christ called him, he
made his living as a fisherman. He'd seen storms before. It never
entered into his thinking that he would ever walk on water.
But Christ says, come. And old Peter steps out of the
boat. Man, what a picture. The sea is still boisterous. The winds are still contrary.
But just like Christ walking on the water, so does Peter. Isn't that lovely? He's looking
at the captain of his salvation. He's focused entirely on the
master of the sea. And as long as he is, all is
well. He just walks along. But... But, verse 30, again, before we come to that,
when Jesus says, come, that's all the reason that we need.
Child of God, there's no need to fear when Jesus Christ says,
come. Has that word from our Lord Jesus
Christ, come, ever failed? Has He ever told you to come,
that it ended in failure? Ever been a time that he said,
come? That he didn't bring you through it? If he brought you
to it, he'll bring you through it, one old writer said. What
about that time when he said, come unto me, all you that labor
on heavy labor. Come unto me, you that are weighted
down with the load of your sin. Come unto me with that burden
that's breaking your back and you feel like it's going to drop
you into hell. Come unto me and I'll give you
rest. Well, did he? Did he? Yes, he did. Yes, he did. Glory to his name. Yes, he did. How can I doubt him? And when
that time comes, like Paul preached the other night, When it's time
for us to cross over Jordan, when our Lord says, come up hither,
that will prove another time when we learn that even these
words will yet be true. It is I. Don't be afraid. Paul said when a pilgrim crosses
over, he probably wants to shout back to those yet living, don't
be afraid. It's not so bad. Don't be afraid. Step on in the water. Cross over. Let's turn the page and look
at this other picture, verse 30. Verse 30, but, but, when
he saw the wind, Peter, boisterous, he was afraid. He wasn't afraid
long as he kept his eyes on Christ. Oh, but just as soon as he took
his eyes off Christ, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried,
saying, Lord, save me. Save me. When our focus becomes
the storm instead of the master, we get in trouble, don't we?
When faith goes out, fear comes in. Without me, you can do nothing. We learn from Peter and ourselves
that the best of men are only men at best, and are so thankful
that he remembers that. He remembers that we're dust.
The lesson is this. Simple. Don't look away from
Christ. The devil's going to do all he
can to get you to look at the storm, the waves, your little
vessel. Keep your eyes focused upon Christ.
We began this race. We entered this race by looking
unto Jesus. We'll finish this race by looking
unto Jesus. And everything that happens in
between that we do well, we'll do so by looking unto Jesus.
Now here's the last picture. Let's do what Peter, at the first
dead, what I'm saying that I want to do in order to honor my Redeemer,
I want to leave us, you and I, looking at the object of faith,
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Isn't He glorious? Well, He's just as glorious on
the troubled sea as He was on dry land. There's nothing too
hard for Him. It was now dark, again from John's
account. These words, it was now dark
and Jesus was not come to them. Oh, but He did come to them.
He did come in a way they never thought would happen. What an
effect it had upon them. Can you imagine the torment of
their mind? They're out on that sea. They
think they're going to drown. 8 miles in the midst of the sea. It's 3 o'clock in the morning.
He told us to get in this boat. Where is He? Why would He do
this? We're going to perish. Where
is He at? Is mercy clean gone, as David
cried? Jesus was not come to them. Oh, but glory to His name. He
came, didn't He? He came. It was dark. There was
a fierce storm. It was three in the morning.
But we read in the fourth watch of the night, verse 25, Jesus
went unto them walking on the sea. Praise His name. He always
does. Learn this again. He will never
leave us. He'll never forsake us. Learn
this. Nothing, nothing can separate
us from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus. We read there
in verse 31, no, verse 30, concerning Peter,
he began to sink. He began to sink, but he didn't
drown. Just began to. Christ said, come. And he reached forth his hand
and lifted Peter up. My sheep never perished. The
psalmist confessed, so foolish was I and ignorant. I was as
a beast before thee. Nevertheless, I'm continually
with thee. Thou wast holding me by my right
hand. You'll guide me with your counsel,
and afterwards receive me to glory. 2 Timothy 2.19 Nevertheless,
the foundation of God standeth sure. The Lord knoweth them that
are his. Child of God, learn again. May God apply the lesson fresh
to our hearts. Jesus Christ has absolute power
over everything. He created the sea. He could
walk on it. It's His sea. Who is the image? Christ. Who is the image of the
invisible God? Galatians 1. The firstborn of
every creature, for by Him were all things created in heaven
and in earth, visible, invisible, Whether their thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers, all things were created by him
and for him. I think he'll be able to walk
on the sea. Revelation chapter 4, they cast
their crowns before the throne of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
they say, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and
power, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
they were and are created. I don't think he'll have any
trouble walking on my soul, let me say to you. Oh, and when he
comes through the darkness, when he comes to me, comes to my rescue
with that sweet word, be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. I have to point this out. There
again in verse 27, It is I, in the original, in the Greek, there's
not three words, there's two. You know what he said? I am.
Be of good cheer, I am. Be not afraid. Now you know the
importance of that. Moses asked God at the burning
bush, who shall I say has sent me? You tell him, I am. Jehovah,
the everlasting God, Lord God Almighty in Christ said, I am
the Word. I am the truth. I am divine. I am the resurrection. I am the
mighty God. Remember, that's what he said
in John 18 in the Garden of Gethsemane that night when they came to
take him before the crucifixion. Whom seek ye? The translators
add the word he, but actually what he said, when they said
Jesus of Nazareth, he said, I am. That's what he said, I am. And
they fell down. I am the mighty God. I am the
everlasting Father. I am the Prince of Peace. All
power is given unto me. I am God Almighty. I am. Be not afraid. Here's the last
thing. We read it in John's account,
chapter 6, verse 21. And immediately, the ship was
at land whether they went. The storm didn't hinder them,
not at all. But in the hands of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the storm was used to bring them the land, immediately. Now, I can't explain all that.
They were in the midst of the sea. The next thing you know,
they're on the other side. The storm in the hands of the
great creator. And that's what Paul tells us.
That's what Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4. You know these
verses. For our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, worketh for us. We think they're against
us, but they're not. Worketh for us a far more exceeding
and eternal way to glory, while we look not at the things which
are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not
seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of
this tabernacle were dissolved, and it will be, We have a building
of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Why do we doubt? I love the article
by Brother Scott Richardson, don't you, in your bulletin.
It will be well with the righteous, Scott wrote in Spiritual Things.
All your temptation, all your darkness, all your wonderings,
God will overrule. It shall be well with you. There
shall never be a night, but that morning will come. There shall
never be a day of trouble, but a day of prosperity shall follow.
There shall never be an emptying, but there shall be a filling.
There shall never be a bringing down, but that He will raise
you up again. Let it be either darkness or
light, sorrow or grief, day or night, life or death, time or
eternity. It shall be well with the righteous."
This wasn't in my notes. I remember, and I think I shared
this with you years ago, Dear Brother Scott, that wrote that
article. One time, Brother Henry Mahan
was visiting him up in Fairmont, West Virginia, where he pastored
for so many years, and they went out to eat. They drove up to
this restaurant, and they got out, and they walked in, they
got seated, And Henry, nice restaurant, nice place. And Henry said, Scott,
did you ever think, I mean, we just drove up, you got a, God's
given you such a nice car, such a comfortable ride. And here
we're sitting down in this nice restaurant. Did you ever think
anything like this would happen in your life? Do you ever have
such blessings? And Scott said, Henry, I used
to live in this place. Henry said, what? He said, I
lived here. He said, what do you mean? He
said, when I was a boy, my daddy was so poor that he would hire
me out to work. And he said, years ago when I
was a boy, this wasn't a restaurant. This was a house. And I had my
room up in the attic. I worked for this fella to make
money so my dad could make ends meet. Isn't that something? And now
he sits down to eat a fine meal. Indeed, it shall be well with
the righteous. That work which his goodness
began, the arm of his strength will complete. His promises,
yea and amen, and never was forfeited yet. Things future, nor things
that are now, nor all things below or above, can make him
his purpose forego, or sever my soul from His love. Why do we doubt? God bless you.
Thank you for your time.