Without Me - Nothing!
W.T. (from "Words of Truth," available from Present Truth Publishers) 
Matthew 14:28-31

"Could Peter have walked on a smooth sea better than on a rough one? Our wisdom is to know that we can do nothing without the Lord Jesus; with Him, everything that is according to His will"--as a dear servant of Christ has written somewhere. And how much there is in the reflection, for if Peter was any more afraid when the wind became "boisterous" than he was before, is it not clear that, at least for the moment, he forgot by whose power it was that he had been enabled to walk on the water at all? Had he remembered how completely dependent he was on the Lord for the taking of a single step there, he would not have dreaded a rough wave being too much for Peter. He would have said, never mind how rough it is, it shall be as a solid rock under my feet, while my Master walks upon it, and calls me to meet Him. He rules the raging of the sea; when the waves thereof arise, He stilleth them; and if He now sees fit to let them toss and roar without stilling them, He can as easily hold up my goings on a rough sea as on a smooth one, therefore will I not fear! 

Dear fellow-pilgrim, have not you and I often felt as if we were "beginning to sink," as some great billow of trouble threatened us, and might break over our head? And if, when crying out with fear, we have found the Lord, who loves us, close at hand; and He has graciously and "immediately stretched forth His hand and caught" us; yet, has He not seen our "little faith," and been grieved by our doubting His sufficiency, or His love? And did not our dread of the rough sea betray our having forgotten on the smooth one whose power alone it was that sustained us there? When all seems calm and bright, we "think we stand." We have forgotten the word about going "from strength to strength," and imagine we have got a start, some stock of strength that will carry us through.  

Alas, for the slowness of our hearts in learning the lessons of true and simple dependence upon God, whose "right hand upholdeth" us (compare Ps.63:8 and Ps. 89:13). But the Lord, who loves to possess all the confidence of our souls, will have us to realize our constant dependence on Him. "Without Me, ye can do nothing," whether in fruit-bearing, or trial-bearing, or prosperity-bearing. If I know, in a divine way, either "how to be abased," or "how to abound," it is only because I have learnt His sufficiency "who strengtheneth me," and in Him I have "strength for all things" (Phil 4:13). Not a single step could we take aright without Him, be the path rough or smooth. Our natural life is sustained only by Him, for "in Him we live and move and have our being." And surely, it is not less true that it is of His grace only that our spiritual life is sustained. If, according to His abundant mercy, He has begotten us again; it is by the power of God that we are kept, through faith, unto the salvation about to be revealed. Without this power, what little difficulty could we overcome? But for His armour, used in dependence on Him, as expressed by "praying always with all prayer," how could we stand for even a moment in conflict with our wily foe? But if the strength of the Lord is made perfect in weakness, and it is "in the power of His might" that we are strong, is not that invincible? What adversary dare measure swords with one wielding the "sword of the Spirit," in the Spirit's power; or what boisterous wind of trouble can disturb the "perfect peace" of one whose mind is simply "stayed on Thee?"  

If it is Himself who has said, "Come," setting us in the path of going forth to meet the Bridegroom, and Himself who comes to meet and welcome us at the end of this walking by faith, not by sight, is He not worthy to be trusted for each particular step of the way? He may let us pass "through the waters," but they will not overflow us, as they did Him (Is. 69:1,2). Moreover, in passing through them, He will be with us, and when we have passed through, then we shall be with Him. Then, let us neither forget our dependence on Him, to be upheld on a smooth sea; nor distrust His power and grace for us and with us on a rough one! --

"What matter that the sea is rough, if Christ is there to make us walk on it? What good that it is calm and smooth, if He be not there?" -- Bible Treasury