How Do You See Him?“Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 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, but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 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.’ Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped They were totally amazed, for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.” Mark 6:47-52
This week the Thursday morning Bible study has focused on Chapter six of the gospel of Mark. Our teacher, Connie Grosse, has caused us to look at how Jesus was preparing his disciples for service. As they walked with him through the events recorded in this chapter, he exposed them to rejection, living dependent upon the unseen God to meet their needs, counting the cost of following him, and developing mind-blowing faith—all to come into a place of true worship of God and his perfect sacrifice.
I was considering the reactions of the disciples and the people, then the Lord made it personal.
He asked, “How do you see Jesus in the circumstances of your life?”
I wondered…
Am I like the people of Nazareth, so familiar with the person of Jesus that I fail to recognize the fullness of his diety, his power to work miracles on my behalf? Do I limit the supernatural, settling for contentment that comes from being comfortable?
Am I willing to be publicly identified with Jesus? Stand for what is right no matter the consequences? Serve God in the midst of hatred? Love my enemies and pray for them?
Am I willing to endure loss, trusting that God will provide for every need?
When faced with a new obstacle have I forgotten the power that resides in Sovereign God? That it is his nature to bless his children?
Or, like the disciples at the end of the chapter, am I caught up in a storm that overwhelms me? Am I so busy fighting fear and trying to figure out how to survive that I miss Jesus showing up, until he gets my attention and says, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.”
Do you ask yourself similar questions?
The scriptural accounts of the lives of those who encounter God encourage me. They shed light on the struggles we all encounter on the path with Jesus. We spend years learning to trust in ourselves. Then Jesus enters in and says, “Follow me. Trust me. You can’t see what is coming, but I’ve got this. The wind will stop and you will get to your destination. Do not harden your heart. Only believe.”
“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve the victory through our faith.” 1 John 5:4
by Marilyn Allison