Jesus walked on water. That must have looked pretty amazing. I’ll never forget the scene from “Bruce Almighty” when Jim Carrey, with godlike powers, was able to walk on water. I loved the camera angle from underneath. Fish were swimming below him.
The disciples were the ones to witness this miracle as they rowed across a lake toward their destination. When I read the story in John 6 this morning, I noticed something that stood out to me as never before.
“A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water, and they were terrified. “. John 6:19. Yeah, I would be too!
“But he said to them, ‘It is I; don’t be afraid.’ Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” John 6:20-21
Two words stood out to me…. “willing” and “immediately”. The water was rough and they were rowing. The journey was scary AND hard work. It is possible that if Jesus had not come along, they would have not survived. Can you imagine? They were doing everything they could to survive and make it to the other side. Through the wind, the rain and the crashing waves, they saw a silhouette. They were “terrified” of this apparition. When they heard the voice of Jesus and his reassurance, they were comforted.
At that point, they were “willing” to let him get in the boat. At first, I am sure they were rowing as hard as they could to get away from Him. As soon as He was in the boat, they immediately reached their destination. This happened in the blink of an eye. No help from a powerful boat engine. This was early time travel.
I don’t know about you but the last few years of my life have been about as stormy a time as I have ever experienced. There have been times when I didn’t think I would survive. I have worked as hard as I have ever worked at my job, making ends meet and maintaining relationships. At times, I couldn’t see any way of making it to the side. Every attempt I make toward moving forward has seemed futile.
When I read these verses, I saw a silhouette in the distance. It is Jesus. He is saying, “It’s Me. Don’t be afraid. Invite me into the boat. Are you willing? Will you let Me get you to the other side? Stop fighting the storm on your own. Stop working so hard to stay afloat. Let Me take you safety to your destination. Let Me go with you.”
Father,
I am willing. I invite Jesus into the boat as I journey toward my destination in life. Please get in the boat! Get me safely through the storm as quickly as possible. I trust You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
One of the things that good friends say to one another is “Call me if you ever need anything.” As I read the story of Lazarus in John 11 this morning, I thought of a particular time when I called my best friend. There was a time, before my marriage ended, when things became physical. I remember lying on the floor thinking, “This is it. He is going to kill me.” I had never seen such anger. Thank God, my kids heard my screams and intervened.
I immediately called my best friend. She traveled over twenty miles in what seemed like ten minutes. I couldn’t believe how quickly she got there. When I read the story of how Jesus reacted to His friend, Lazarus, I couldn’t help but compare how my friend reacted. Let me just say that I am glad my friend acted more quickly than Jesus did.
Apparently, Jesus and Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were tight. They were good friends. They loved each other. Jesus spent time at their home when He was in the area. Lazarus became extremely sick and the two sisters sent word to Jesus. They called him. The reason they called him is because they KNEW that He healed the sick. It was a given that He would heal his good friend, right? At least that is the way they were looking at it. After all, we should treat those we love with extra attention and care.
The messenger said to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” That would be like someone calling me and saying, “Your best friend is in the hospital.” There would be no need to even mention the name. I would know. Jesus knew exactly who the messenger was talking about. Instead of rushing to the side of Lazarus, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
“Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” John 11:5.
With no disrespect, this does seem to be how Jesus reacts to situations in my life. He seems to move VERY slowly. Well, you know how the story turned out. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days…so dead that the smell was really bad! It seemed like He arrived four days too late BUT as Jesus said, it did not END in death. He actually DID die but the situation did not END in death because Jesus raised a smelly, dead man to life. There were many witnesses to this miracle and there was no doubt in anyone’s mind. This was the real deal. God WAS glorified. I am sure that there were those who believed that Jesus WAS who He said He was when they saw Lazarus walking around healthy and happy.
There are times when I call out to Jesus and I ask Him to come quickly to my rescue. It seems like He is ignoring me. He isn’t. Maybe He is trying to tell me that this will NOT end in death (death of a dream, death of relationships, etc…) but it is for God’s glory. When God finally intervenes, it will be obvious to everyone around me that God has done miracles in my life.
Father,
I am calling on You because I need You. Just like my best friends, You have said, “Call me if you need ANYTHING.” I am going to trust You with the timing. I know You will be there right on time.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
