09-22-23-ENG.

"Lord, save me!"

Matthew 14:30 
JUMP INTO JESUS' ARMS

Read It: Matthew 14:28-31
 
Let me give you another important truth you need to know about your trials: Christ loves you even as He tests you. When Peter stepped out on the water, he started out great, because he started out by faith. It took a lot of faith to step out of that boat. But he got in trouble when he took his eyes off Jesus and started looking at his circumstances. Now this was the same storm Peter had already been watching for about twelve hours. But it looked different out there on that dark water. He let what he saw around him control him. His faith faltered. The moment Peter took his eyes off Christ, the trial started swallowing ing him up. If your trials are swallowing you up, it's because you are looking ing at the wrong thing. You are looking at your trials. I know you can't just close your eyes and ignore them, but they are not to be your focus. Well, at least Peter had the good sense to cry out to Jesus for help as he was going under. He went to the right place, because Jesus loved Peter far too much to let him go under. Notice there was no delay in Jesus' response. He grabbed Peter "immediately" (v. 31).

Even if you are going under, Jesus loves you enough not to let you sink. In fact, I believe that one major purpose of trials is to teach us that we can't make it ourselves and that we can't figure it out, and all we can do is pray, "Lord, save me!" His love says yes to that admission of need and dependence upon Him. Of all the temptations you need to resist in times of trial, the greatest is the temptation to think Jesus must not love you very much, or this wouldn't be happening to you. Recently, my granddaughter Kariss got scared by our dog Casey. He ran toward her, and she screamed and came running to me yelling, "Poppy, Poppy! Casey is going to get me!" Then she jumped up into my arms-and from up there, everything looked different. She wasn't afraid anymore. Has your trial got you scared? Jump up into Jesus' arms. From up there, your trial won't look so fierce anymore. It may still bark, but you're in Jesus' arms now! Think About It Jesus loves you far too much to let you sink under the waves.