March 8, 2019 – Click here to listen
I was studying the Bible yesterday and came across this verse in chapter 14:
Night fell and out on the sea the disciples were in trouble, for the wind had risen and they were fighting heavy seas. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them walking on the sea.
I can only imagine how they must have felt in the pitch-black darkness of night in that rickety little boat being tossed about in raging seas – Been there done that! The Bible states that this occurred on the fourth watch which would have been between 3-6 a.m. Jesus had just heard about John the Baptist being beheaded and He told His disciples that he was going up on a nearby mountain to pray. He told them to leave without Him around 5-6 p.m. and He would meet them later. This means He was gone from early evening until 3 a.m. some 7-8 hours later.
What’s up with that???
Why did He allow His faithful followers and friends to struggle by themselves in this raging storm for those many long, tortured hours? Granted, He’d just been notified of John the Baptist’s beheading and was probably conversing with him and the Father part of that time, or praying; however, the Lord knew full well what His terrified loyal followers were enduring in that storm and allowed it to happen anyway.
Was He offering a lesson to the disciples? I believe so. Oftentimes He allows us to exhaust our resources before He steps in. If He had spared them the angst of being alone in the violent storm, they might have thought of their situation as no big deal, or possibly worse, they might have assumed they would have made it just fine without Him. Upon fearing for their lives for 8 hours as the angry waves pounded their little boat, they were none to glad to see their Savior coming to the rescue.
I’ve visited hardened criminals in jails and prisons who could have cared less about having a relationship with Christ prior to their incarceration. But after losing their family, friends, reputation, and freedom, not to mention being locked up with violent sociopaths and sinking to the lowest point of their lives, it finally became obvious to them that no matter how tough they were, or thought they were, the world can be far tougher. And it is at that precise moment when they understand that they cannot make it in the world alone they instinctively reach out to the Father to help them get through their crises. Essentially, they have nowhere to look but up.
This phenomenon is no different than so many that we might face in our everyday lives. A call from the doctor about a bad test result, losing one’s job, a call in the middle of the night from the police about a wayward child; so many things can happen in this fragile life. God forbid that it would take such dire circumstance to awaken us to reach out to Jesus; nonetheless, it is an axiom of life that some people must lose everything in order to gain everything, but it is so-o-o-o-o much less painful to make that decision without enduring the pain . . . If only we would listen . . .
If you are listening – then go to church this Sunday and every Sunday, get in a good Bible study, and get right with God now!
Isaiah 55:6
Turn to the LORD before it’s too late. Call out to him while he’s still ready to help you.
Have a great weekend . . .