e said to the other, "I wish the Master were
here. If He were here He would know what to do." And then, to add to
their terror, they suddenly see their master walking from wave to wave
toward them across the sea. But he is not recognized. They take him
for a ghost and they cry out in fear.

This is not an altogether unique experience. Many times Jesus comes to
us in a way that makes us rather dread than welcome His approach.
Sometimes He comes with demands for the giving up of certain sins or
certain pleasures that we do not wish to give up. Sometimes He asks us
for services that we do not wish to render. He demands surrenders that
we do not at all desire to make. Sometimes He comes to us in the guise
of a great disappointment. He comes in the garb of a heartache that
wets our faces with tears.

The disciples, I say, were at first afraid. But Jesus calmed their
fears by saying, "It is I. Be not afraid." The Bible seems to have
been written in large measure just to still the fears of our timid
hearts. Over and over again is that message directed to us, "Fear
not." And at once fear was driven from these hearts. And in the place
of fear came, to one at least, a glorious and buoyant faith.

"Lord, if it be thou," shouted Peter, "bid me come to thee on the
water." You see the effect the presence of Christ had upon Peter. As
soon as he recognized Jesus he ceased to fear and began to hope. As
soon as he realized the presence of Christ he gave up doubt and despair
and began to believe. The presence of Christ always makes for faith.
Peter was gripped by a firm conviction that now that Christ had come
impossibilities were transmuted into possibilities.

"Bid me come to thee on the water." Peter had no disposition to climb
out of that boat before Jesus came. He had no desire to undertake this
seemingly mad task while Christ was yonder on the mountain side and the
little boat was being battered by the storm. But Christ had begotten
within him a beautiful and seemingly utterly reckless faith. That
which a moment ago was an impossibility is now altogether capable of
being accomplished.

Christ always inspires such faith in the hearts of those who really
know Him. In such faith He takes the keenest delight. There is
nothing that so pleases Him as the most daring and reckless and
romantic faith. He is never so joyed as when men trust Him with mad
abandon. Never once did He praise a prudent and conservati