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A Bridge Over Troubled Water
By Chaplain Thomas Meade
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So, the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
– Matthew 8:23-27
They left from Capernaum to pass over the Sea of Galilee to the Eastern shore. And the Sea of Galilee was known to have powerful storms. In our Christian walk, we go through different seasons. There are seasons where we are experiencing the good times: blessings one after another. During these times, we sing the song of Zion (heaven) with joy.
Then there are seasons where it feels like we are going through a famine. This is when the test/trials come. The enemy tries to steal our joy and song. Where do we get the strength to handle all the pressures of life? How do we navigate through life’s rocky paths in a fleshly tabernacle? We will experience tough times along the way during the COVID-19 pandemic. God desires for us to have the peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7), how then do we keep our sanity while being in a depressed state?
To get from Point A to Point B in our Christian walk, we will go through troubled waters. In these waters, there are alligators, crocodiles, and piranhas that will take you under. It does not matter what your status in society is and how smart you are, you cannot travel from Point A to Point B on your own strength (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Peter 5:8). There must be a solid foundation where we walk onto progress from one destination to the next in our spiritual life. Jesus Christ is the foundation on which we stand (1 Cor. 3:11). He becomes our bridge when we encounter troubled waters.
I have been on the Sea of Galilee and its shores. The wind became very strong while I was standing near its waters and a storm was brewing – I then went for shelter. Thoughts concerning today’s biblical text began racing through my mind when Jesus calmed the sea by His command, “Peace, be still,” and on another occasion in Scripture when Peter walked on water and began sinking because of his taking his eyes of the Lord from his fear, from being distracted by the troubled waters raging around them. This hymn came to my mind: “Love Lifted Me.”
Take some time out today and look around and observe, taking in the beauty of God’s beautiful creation. Listen closely to the surrounding sounds such as birds sweetly singing praise (Psalm 66:4; 148) or maybe the sound of flowing water from a nearby stream. These things are blessings that often go unnoticed if our minds are closed whilst being engulfed by the troubled waters of this life and becoming distracted like Peter. Our bridge is sure and strong to lift us up and out of harm’s way.
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