Jesus satisfied over 5,000. He miraculously multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish. Wow!
Peter helped hand it out. Bread crumbs still stuck to the fish oil on his hands. Real hunger. Real food. Real miracle.
Jesus asked for nothing from the crowd, he just fed them. Then he told his disciples to get in the boat and he'd meet them at the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Now, he was asking for something. Faith.
It didn't take much faith for the seasoned fishermen among the disciples to take the ropes, hoist the sails, and point them in the right direction. But when the storm came, and their best response efforts weren't working, fear took over.
Wind sheer ripped the sails. "We're going to die!"
Monster waves smashed into the boat like bombs. "Why would he leave us?"
They had to strap in with ropes like seatbelts or be thrown overboard by the hungry storm. "Do something!!"
Jesus appeared, in the middle of the storm, on the waves, hair flapping in the wind. And that made things worse. Because they didn't recognize him.
"When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It's a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear" (Matthew 14:26).
He didn't miraculously calm the storm and then appear to help. He appeared to help in the storm. In. The. Storm.
The doubt of the disciples that they'd survive was not the faith Jesus had asked from them. He told them that he would see them on the other side. That's a promise. The storm convinced them otherwise.
So when Jesus appeared, their doubt made things even worse. They didn't recognize Jesus, but actually thought that what they saw was a threat.
There's the lesson for your storms this week, your tears, your cries of help, and your faith in Jesus. Sometimes, he's in the storm. Sometimes, his answers to your prayers and his presence of help don't come after he calms the storm—but come in the midst of it.
Stop doubting. Remember his works. Believe his words. And you'll see him there.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, where are you? I'm tossed and turned by circumstances I can't control. I'm overwhelmed by deadlines crashing down on me. I don't know if I'll make it through this. And I need your help, please. You say that you're near. You promise that I'll make it through this. The storm says otherwise. Can you really handle this? Can I really find you? I want to be sure, I really do, but there's doubt. So find me, Jesus. In your patient grace, come to me in the storm. I'll watch for you there. Appear in your works I've seen and words I know, and in the midst of the storm these will be my faith over fear. You are bigger than the waves, more powerful than the wind, and you love me more than the storms threaten me. Help me believe you, see you, and not be afraid. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Read the account of Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14:22-27. Look for details you may have missed previously. He had special plans for his disciples as compared to the crowd (v. 22). He expects more from them. Do you want Jesus to expect more from you, or do you want to walk away with the crowd? What is Jesus doing while his disciples are scared for their lives (v. 23)? Jesus isn't always holding your hand, sometimes he helps you better by folding his hands and talking to his Father about you. Why might that be better? The disciples were disoriented by the storm, but Jesus knew exactly where they were (v. 25). The circumstances couldn't prevent him from finding them. The disciples saw him but their doubt and fear didn't recognize him (v. 26). Imagine how often Jesus has come to you in the storm, but you just thought he was another threat. It added to your fear. Is it even possible for you to have courage? to conquer your fear? does Jesus care about these things (v. 27)?
Daron Lindemann
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