Thursday, April 22, 2021
Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:45-52
A Windy Night On The Lake
You know it is coming. You can see the huge thunderheads on the horizon. You really don’t even need to look at your radar; because you can smell the coming storm in the air. This may be what the disciples experienced that day when Jesus, in spite of the winds, declared He wanted them to all get in the boat to go over to the other side of the lake. I’m sure they were thinking, “It’s really too windy to go and we will be heading directly into the wind.” But Jesus sent them directly into the turbulent winds while He stayed behind to pray.
The storm is not the destination planned. The other side of the lake is the destination, but there is no way to get there except straight through the middle of the tempest. Jesus not only has sent them out into this terrible wind, but He is not even with them. He was still on the shore somewhere praying. I am sure they were afraid and wondering where He is. Then He comes, and they don’t recognize Him, but instead think He is a ghost. They are afraid and cry out, and He immediately calms their fears and gets into the boat with them. The wind stopped and they were amazed. The day had been a lot for them. Jesus had fed 5,000 people with just a few fish and loaves of bread - and now this!
That is very much how we feel when we are caught out in the wild winds of life. We feel like afraid and like Jesus is still on the shore instead of in the rocking boat with us. There is no way to avoid the storms in life. The fierce winds will come and sometimes to get to where God wants us to be, we must pass through them. It is possible for Jesus to show up in the midst of our storms and not be recognized. It is entirely possible for us to have moments just like the disciples had where He is coming right alongside us and we cry out in fear because we don’t see Him or what He is doing. Even though He has the power to take away the storm, He usually doesn’t. He always has a reason for the turbulence He allows us to experience. When we acknowledge this, and acknowledge His presence in our storms, we experience a deeper understanding of exactly who He is. Trying to calm the storms in our own power proves how very insufficient we are. Faith is what helps us get through the storms of life. Faith that even though the winds are out of control, He is in control. And even though we may not recognize Him, we can trust that He is in the boat with us.
As we go through storms, He's preparing us to be a blessing to others who go through similar difficulties. It is like a ripple effect when you throw a stone into the water. You are changed and blessed by your storm experience and God uses you to help someone else going through the same thing. The length and intensity of the storm may depend on your willingness to allow God’s will to be done. Embrace the black clouds and wild winds of a coming storm. Be willing to be transformed and allow God to use these experiences to mold your life for His purpose.
