Donnie Vick
Look up, dear child—
The Father watches still,
Keep anchored fast in Him;
He ever will.
He spoke, a voice so tender,
Calm and sweet,
The raging billows humbled,
At His feet.
Don’t watch the waves,
They might cause you to fear,
And you’d forget,
The Master is so near.
—Irene Manney
The above poem has often been a source of encouragement to me when going through difficulties. It is found in brother Thomas Warren’s book on suffering, Our Loving God—A Sun and A Shield. Anyone going through any trouble would gain from reading it. The poem above alludes to Peter when he attempted to walk on water. When we enter into suffering, we often are like Peter. We begin to look at the waves. Matthew recorded, “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me” (Mt 14:30).
When he looked at the waves, he began to fear and drown. Of course, he did not see the wind but the effects of the wind on the waves. When we receive a phone call informing us of a death in the family or a medical diagnosis we are now stricken with, we look at what that now means in my life. We might think on the things we will not be able to do with that loved ones or what we will not physically be able to do with the illness that we now suffer with. Peter was a strong man who had seen a storm or two on the Sea of Galilee but he even at this time began to be afraid. No matter who we are when waves of suffering come crashing upon us, it is easy to give in to fear and worry.
However, Peter did not keep drowning. He screamed, “Lord, save me!” For a moment, while his eyes were off the Lord, he forgot that “the Master was so near.” But with an urgent cry, he called on Jesus to help him. Immediately Jesus grabbed him and they both entered into the ship and the winds stopped (Mt 14:31-32). When we are caught looking at the waves, how easy is it for us to forget that the One who is able to deliver us and wants to aid us is right next to us? Paul said to the Athenians that “he be not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27). Let us remember that whatever trouble we face, we can run to the throne of grace to find the help we need when we need it (Heb 4:15-16).
Often it seems that in sermons and talks I hear about Peter’s walking on the water with Jesus the lesson ends with Peter back in the boat. But that’s not the end of the story. Matthew recorded, “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Mt 14:33). Jesus rescued Peter so that he and the other disciples would be led to worship and deeper faith in Him. When the Lord comes to our aid in our times of trouble, remember He is not bringing healing to your life just so you can stop saying, “Ouch!” He brings healing and comfort so we can say, “Alleluia!” And He desires us to be able to comfort others. Paul tells the Corinthians that God is the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Cor 1:3-4).
So when upon life’s billows, let us remember to keep our eyes on Jesus and cry out to Him for help.