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And having come near, they (the disciples} awoke Him (Jesus), saying, “Master, Master, we perish!” And He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and there came a calm, and He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they being afraid wondered, saying to one another, “Who, then, is this, that He even commands the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”
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The disciples looked at the situation they were in rather than looking at the Lord and seeing the perfect peace that they too should have had! It is a peace which surpasses all understanding and is able to guard our hearts and our minds from all anxiety! {Php.4:7} There is indeed victory in Jesus! {1Cor.15:57} And that victory that overcomes the world is our faith. {1Jn.5:4}

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and have been saved for more than a day you are likely to already know that all of the issues of life, the trials and the tribulations, are still there. As David said, ‘many are the afflictions of the righteous’ {Ps.34:19} but as he also said, and that we need to learn to say and to live, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me”. {Ps.23:4}

Jesus had told His disciples before they launched out on this watery crossing that His purpose was to get over to the other side. We need to know that  God is at work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure. {Php.2:13} He had spoken long before saying, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” {Jer.29:11}

Those men of God in that boat with Jesus would have to learn, just as we do today, that He is the Lord and ruler of heaven and earth who watches over His word to perform it. {Jer.1:12} Joshua, who certainly would have known, said that not one of God’s promises had failed to come to pass. {Jos.21:45} The apostles would have had to jump overboard, abandon ship, in order to not get to the other side! And that is the definition of apostasy!

I have actually been in a massive storm at sea one time for three days. A time when men, experienced sailors all, were despairing of life and major damage was being done to the ship we were on. So I understand what Psalm 107 {v.23-20} means, and how important His promises are. I have been blessed to see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep.

We can read it and believe it, but we also have to live our faith—and that often requires ‘on the job training’, not just theory. God is SO good. The apostle Paul wrote, and it is true, that we are saved by faith and not by works. {Eph.2:8-9} But it is equally true that we have also been instructed by Paul to make certain that our faith is at work, working through love! {Gal.5:6} In the beautiful words of Paul love and works are to be in perfect harmony, glorifying God and blessing others:

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
    And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. … But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
(1 Corinthians 13:1-3,13)

GOD WATCHES OVER HIS WORD TO PERFORM IT