Worrisome Waters

*Worrisome Waters*

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire,
thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."
Isaiah 43:2

In 2009, Colonel Harland Sanders was rescued from the river. He was
covered in mud and his hands were missing. But his legendary smile was
still there, and when he was found he was standing upright. Twenty-four
years earlier, some crazed baseball fans had taken the statue of Colonel
Sanders from the front of a KFC restaurant in Osaka and thrown it in the
river. They were upset because they thought the colonel resembled a hated
member of a rival team. The colonel stayed submerged until discovered by
workers building a walkway along the river.

Sometimes we can feel like the Colonel, that we're in over our heads. At
one point, the disciple Peter felt like that too. It started off as a
great experience, with Peter walking on the water towards Jesus, "but when
he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried,
saying, Lord, save me" (Matt. 14:30). Figuratively speaking, we sometimes
face similar situations and talk about being overwhelmed with temptation or
facing a flood of problems or up to our ears in alligators. Life can be a
little overwhelming at times and we can feel afraid, alone, anxious or even
angry.

But that's when we need to be reminded of the promises and principles
in Scripture like Isaiah 43:2 - God is always with us, regardless of the
circumstance or situation, and He will go through it with us. In the midst
of a temptation, trouble, trials or tragedy, God will give us strength,
comfort, encouragement and hope. If Jesus pulled Peter out of deep water,
He can do the same for us when everything threatens to overwhelm us. The
song "How Firm a Foundation" sums it up beautifully - "When through the
deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow.
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, and sanctify to thee thy
deepest distress. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My
grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee;
I only design thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine."

*Drown you it cannot; these are not waters to sink in, but waters to swim
in. (Charles Spurgeon)*