Dr. Gough:

People of God may wonder why they have problems.

--They have good times, blessings; then difficulties.

--Perhaps you have experienced this. It comes to all.

--People of the Bible. Even Jesus had tides of life.

For some years we've lived near the seacoast.

--People there are used to tides, come daily.

--These are tides God controls. He can control ours.

On Palm Sunday Jesus was acclaimed with "Hosannas!"

--"Blessed is the King who comes ..." (Luke,19:38).

--A few days later crowds shouted a different story.

--They were calling for a cross, for the Son of God.

In the Upper Room Jesus had washed the disciples feet.

--Tenderly spoke final words, at the Last Supper.

--They sang a hymn. Left for Gethsemane's Garden.

--A place where Jesus often went to pray and worship.

--Asked His disciples, "Tarry with me, watch and pray."

--"Pray you may not enter into temptation" (22:40).

On a high tide of baptism Jesus began His ministry.

--Then led into the wilderness. Tempted 40 days.

--Tempted by the devil himself. Intensely suffering.

--By prayer, faith and the Word, He defeated Satan.

--The devil left Him, ".. for a season" (Lk. 4:13).

--That Holy Thursday night, Satan was there.

--By prevailing. power of prayer, Satan again defeated.

You and I can have our Palm Sundays and Gethsemanes.

--Life is checkered with tides of joy, and challenge.

--When "things work for good." Or not so good.

--In God's love and our faith, our Easters will come!

When things are dark as night, God brings out stars!

--Twinkling lights above, to keep us on our course.

--Lights that are there, yet never seen by day.

--Life hands us some trials, but we have God near.

What did Jesus pray? "Father .. take this cup ."

--Adding, "Not My will, but Yours be done" ( 42).

As Jesus prayed, "an angel appeared to Him" (v 43).

--"From heaven, strengthening Him." He needed that!

--An evidence of Jesus' humanity, as well as deity.

--His miracles reveals the latter; this, the former.

--Jesus is both God and Man. God in human flesh.

--To endure our suffering. And pay for our sin.

--To show us what God is really like, in His love.

This tells us that God cares about our own sorrows.

--Note, "Being in agony, He prayed more earnestly."

--"His sweat became like great drops of blood, falling to the ground" (v 44). That's fervent prayer.

--He faced the cross, unafraid, for you and me.

--Willing to suffer .. even to die .. for our sins.

--I believe Jesus was heart—broken, for the unbelief.

—For the indifference, of so many then, and now.

--Why do we not all trust Him? Follow Him? Believe.

Dear hurting one, let God control all your tides.

The Pacific Golden Plover birds are hatched in Alaska.

--Young ones are carefully nurtured, and taught.

--Then, the older birds leave. Fly to Hawaii.

--The young, left behind, to develop more strength.

When the time is right, the young follow parents.

--To those tiny isles of Hawaii, some 2000 miles away.

--Had never been to Hawaii. Have no maps to guide.

--No place for food or rest. Or get directions!

--Yet fly straight to Hawaii. Join their parents!

Who guided those young birds? The God Who will us!

--God puts in them the strength, ability to be led.

--A conscience, they can follow, and not be lost.

God who controls seas, tides, birds, can guide us!

--In fact, God would love to. As we yield to Him.

--As we trust in the Lord Jesus, to save and guide.

--"In His hands are the deep places of earth. The sea is His, and He made it" (Psalm 95:4,5).

If God cares for the birds, as Jesus says, don't you think He will surely care for us, made in His image?

--Even in illness. In sorrow. Trials. Old age.

Our son called, wanted us come watch a tall ship arrive.

--Coming in to Portsmouth, NH, harbor, one summer day.

--But it had to anchor awhile off shore. Why?

--To wait for the tide to rise, so they could enter.

--Coastal fishermen know this. They live by tides.

Tides are helpful. They clean our rivers of waste.

--They teach us how to wait, patiently; trust God.

--"To wait on the Lord" (Psalm 27:1). A right tide.

--From Genesis to Revelation, we see it for so many.

--David the Psalmist, said, "The Lord is my Shepherd."

--He also wrote, "Why have You forgotten me?" (Ps. 42).

--Like us all, David had his downs, but never stayed!

--His faith was firmly fixed on the promises of God.

Every life is precious to the Lord, and to us.

--It has amazing possibilities, when yielded to Him.

--In Sandringham church in England is a lovely window.

--Made of discarded, useless, broken pieces of glass.

--Of all shapes, sizes and colors - put in a window.

--A master-craftsman gathered these castaways.

--From these throw-aways, he made a window of beauty!

--A window mosaic of the Lord Jesus!

--Through broken glass the sun shines, revealing Him.

My friend, my Lord can remake broken lives, to shine!

I seem..to find when we are broken, Jesus is nearer.

--It was when the bread was broken, that it blesses.

--Don't despise the day of low tides, testing, tears!

--God is still in them. As much, or maybe, more.

In May 1963, all was well. In a large new church.

--Built on 20 acres, by members, to serve many more.

--Four large nurseries. Parking. A ball diamond.

--People growing spiritually. United. And happy.

--The Lord was blessing. The tide running high.

Mid May the annual denomination convention in Detroit.

--The 5-day meetings - missions, speakers; inspiring.

--Dr. Warner Cole and I led a communion service to over 6000 in Cobo Hall, on Thursday night.

--The Holy Spirit was in those meetings in power.

--Next night, my Seminary gave me an honored award.

The closing night we took a large group by bus and car.

--In the midst of the service, I was called out.

--My brother called, from Texas, "Mother had died."

--My dad and sister in the hospital, "Please come."

I share this to say such times we need a Living God.

--A Savior like Jesus. A Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

--It is not a time to doubt or argue over theology.

--But rather a time to fall on our knees before God!

--Not to ask. "Why ?" But "What would You have us do?"

--Jesus is that needed anchor that is dependable.

We all face all kinds of joys and sorrows.

--That is life, down here, in a hurting, evil world.

--Where innocent children get incurable diseases.

--Where tornados, floods, quakes, accidents happen.

--Where terrorists in hatred take too many lives.

--And young, brave soldiers must strive for peace.

--In so doing, they risk their own lives.

--It is the uncertainty of life. Be saved for sure!

--Each day you live, rejoice! Go, with God always!

Take time each day with the Lord. He had time for us.

--He took time to come, go to a cross, lay in a tomb.

--And to arise! Time to "seek and save the lost."

--And, until we are "born again" 'in Him, that's us!

Remember Job in the Old Testament, a very godly man.

--Read the first few chapters of that great book.

--How the devil was testing Job for all Satan could.

--He lost all his children, his health, and wealth.

--But Job did not lose his faith in the Lord God!

--He said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him," He shall also be my salvation" (Job 13:15,16).

--I say to you, that's the kind of faith that wins!

This life is a test, a proving ground, to improve us.

--Of whom we will serve. The Lord God? Or another?

--"For me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

--We have every reason to believe, and live for Him.

--Come to a blessed assurance, communion, in Jesus!

--Make sure He is with you in all the tides of life.

--Then, you and I can take life's tides, in stride.

--Jesus arose!

Dr. Wilbert D. Gough