Tension and Tumultuous Waters
When stress from without and within overwhelm, it's time to reach out.
Before being disciples of Jesus, some of the men had been fishermen. Boats, nets, long hours, patience and hard work would have characterized their days.
After the feeding of the 5,000 miracle, Jesus insisted that his disciples get into a boat, travel across the lake and arrive in Bethsaida. After being involved in a miracle on land, they may have been excited and tired, but some of them would have been familiar with the aquatic setting.
They used oars to row this boat. Nothing was new. They were doing what they knew how to do. I’d guess that they had even been out in heavy winds and choppy waters before. But this time, the Bible tells us in Mark 6:47-48 it was late at night and that “they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves.”
I can tell you that I have not been in a boat late at night, but I have been in situations that remind me of the disciples’ predicament. I have struggled against sickness, pain and heartache. I have kept going and persevered much like the disciples who rowed hard, straining in the choppy, wind whacked water. I have even been doing what I knew how to do and suddenly something changed, shifted and shook me up. Serious trouble presented itself.
Just as Jesus saw the disciples in their struggle in that boat, he sees us and comes toward our situations. The disciplies cried out in terror when they saw him because it was not what they expected. Jesus walked on the water to be there when they needed him to restore peace in place of terror.
Jesus had intended to go past them on the water that night, but once the disciples called to him, he changed course and came close even getting into the boat with them. Once he climbed in the boat the winds died down. They were safe.
When I have done all that I knew to do, I have seen the Holy Spirit help me and not let the howling winds prevail. I have called out to God in prayer to help and experienced his peace. I know that there are other accounts of this story that show Jesus calling Peter to walk on water, but in Mark’s account, he recorded in Mark 6:50 these words: “But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!”
I think we could all be reminded that we can call on Jesus in prayer to help us in our stress, our storms and our struggles. He will answer. The disciples in this story cried as their tense minds and muscles did all that they could do to survive. We can also do all that is in our power while trusting in the One whose presence calmed the storm.
In this story, Mark does not record Jesus telling the wind to be calm. We see Jesus in the boat and the whole scene abruptly transformed.
Picture Jesus today seeing us in our trouble and in our multiple efforts to make things right again and speaking to us with the words, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.”
He is here. Reach out in prayer and invite him to get in your boat. His presence soothes the stress and comforts like no other.
Read the passage below and let the Holy Spirit settle in your mind as you ponder the words. Please let me know what words in the story below stood out to you today. I pray that you and I will call on Jesus and picture him with us in our struggles.
Mark 6:45 - 52 NLT
45 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50 They were all terrified when they saw him.
But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here! 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, 52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.