Andrew was glad that the waters were somewhat rough today.  On the rare occasions that he brought John to the waterside, the battle-scarred old man seemed most alive when the water was roughest.  It was a reminder that he came into manhood battling the seas; and Andrew thought that in these moments, his friend was inwardly that powerful youth once again.  The two men stood looking out over the waters.  John leaned back against his younger friend, drawing on the strength that he himself no longer possessed.  Out of sight, across the waters, men were battling the waves.  He had left that life behind to follow Jesus, but they still spent many hours at sea.  Many of his most powerful memories of Jesus occurred on the waters, in the midst of storm.

Word had spread that John was at the water’s edge, and a small crowd was gathering.  They knew he would speak a word of encouragement to them if they just waited.

Andrew so admired this man’s courage.  He was old, frail, and badly disfigured from unfathomable torture – all for his unwavering dedication to Jesus.  Yet when he faced the crowd of people, they quieted in submission to him.

“Do you know that I still hear his voice in the storm?”  His own voice found power as he spoke.    When we were out on the sea, fearing for our lives, and close to giving up, there he was.  “Take courage!  It is I.”  He didn’t just speak those words, he yelled them.  They were loud and powerful, and not weakened by the storm’s fury.

“Take courage!  It is I!”

“My children, the storms have changed, but they are still powerful, still ominous, and can be just as overwhelming.  But I have learned that he sees us – just like he did that night.  When I listen, I still hear his voice, booming through the darkness – “Take courage!  It is I!”

“A Pharaoh disappears, and a Caesar rises up; Caesar disappears, and a Nero rises up.  God’s people are forever caught in the storm.

“But children, don’t ever forget.  He is out there, over the water, just like in the beginning.  Darkness was over the face of the deep; but the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

He called for light so that we could see.  And then he called for dry land, so that we could stand.

And then God said, “Let the waters bring forth abundant life . . .”

Life is born in dark waters, because he is there, hovering, speaking “Let these waters bring forth abundant life.”  He sees us struggling against the wind, blind in the darkness.  He sees our strength fail, and his voice roars, “Take Courage!  It is I!”