47When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.”
Jesus was watching His disciples in the midst of their struggle. They were not struggling alone, even if it felt that way. Sure, Jesus wasn't in the boat like He was in Mark 4 when a different storm came upon them. But they had the eyes of the King of Glory gazing upon them. If we have His gaze and His attention, why would we ever look elsewhere? Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. Mark 6:48 Think of those words for a moment "in the night He came to them". Have you had nights like these where the struggle, the temptation, the desire to quit was so intense? Jesus sees those moments and He walks right into them. Jesus is about to step into the wind and sea without using any normal human means. Why didn’t He get into a boat or something? Jesus is defying the laws of nature and science doing what He is doing. He is demonstrating to His disciples that He is not just a good teacher, or a great healer; He is showing them that even creation submits to His will. How? Because He is God: Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; 9Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 10Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. 11“Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. Job 9:8-11 NASB Jesus did not remain as a spectator in the struggle of His disciples. He stepped into the actual struggle itself. The sea and the wind were going to drown the disciples. Yet, Jesus stepped into the wind and the sea. He did not stay safe on the shores screaming out instructions or rebuking them for not knowing what to do when a storm comes. He stepped into the sea, walking through the wind without any wavering, and trampling under His feet the very seas that threatened to drown His disciples. In this world of constant trials, we tend to often look for instructions on how to fix them, or explanations as to why they are happening. We do not need instructions or explanations for the trials we face; we need a Person. A Person who embodies the very thing that we desire and need. The answers you desire in the sea of wavering life are found in His presence. Jesus says in Matthew 5:4 - "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. How will they be comforted? By being given an explanation? No, but by the Comforter, who lives inside of us. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:34 Questions To Consider: 1. How can we take the comfort that we have received from God and share it with others that are in need? Pray for an opportunity this week to be able to share the same comfort that you have received. 2. Think of what Jesus has done for you in your life when he trampled under His feet your sin. Would you take a moment and offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for those things?
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