Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Cor. 15:58

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Friday, August 19, 2011

Day 62: Alone on the Shore

John 6:19-21
Soon a gate swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough.  They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat.  They were terrified but he called to them, "Don't be afraid.  I am here." Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!
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Ok, I love this story.  We have to back a few verses to really appreciate it.

Jesus had just fed the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish.  They crowd was ready to force him to become there King (something he will do eventually, but not at that moment), so he left and went to the hills to be by himself.

The  disciples were down by the sea of Galilee the next morning, ready to go to their next destination.  For some reason, Jesus was late.

And just like we do...they went on without him.

Since he didn't come when they expected him, they went out on their own.

I had to wonder... WHERE did they think they were going without Jesus?  I mean, wasn't Jesus their main man?  The leader of their pack?  Their reason for preaching?

What exactly did they think they were going to do without him?

And who in their right mind would leave Jesus behind?! 

Can you imagine Jesus... poor Jesus... he  had secluded himself in the hills to get away from all of the people... and when he came back down again, everyone was gone, even his most trusted friends.  I bet he was all, "What in the world?!?"

I bet he stood there on the side of the sea, shook his head, and smiled at the silliness of the situation.  Where did the disciples think they were going without Jesus?

..... where do we?

The sea grew rough.  The disciples were 3-4 miles away from shore.  Their 3 hour tour was about to turn into a nightmare.  The rough seas weren't what surprised or scared them. The sea of Galilee was known for windstorms that caught sailors off guard.  It was just par for the course.  However, what did scare them was looking out and seeing Jesus walking out toward them... walking on the water!

Jesus was probably taking a nice stroll on the water... maybe waved a friendly hello to his friends... and they were terrified!  They thought he was a ghost. Maybe they thought he had finally been caught and killed while they had left him behind.. maybe they thought that he was coming to get revenge on them for not protecting him.

In any case, seeing ANY man walking toward you on water would freak a person out... much less a friend.

I have this image of Jesus not as a boring, proper speaking man (like portrayed in a lot of movies), but I see him as a kind, soft faced, joyful man who took delight in people and situations.  *HE* knew he was God's Son and he knew that his disciples knew too... however they didn't exactly know what all that meant. He looked human... and even though they had witnessed his miracles, they may not have fully 'got it'. He 'looked' human... he was human..... but he was SO much MORE.

I bet he had that same smile on his face as he had when he stood by the shore of the sea.  A loving smile of someone who feels genuine affection for people.

He knew they were scared, so he yelled out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here!"

There are 2 very important things to learn/remember from this story:

1. Don't leave Jesus standing on the shore while you go try go make it on your own.  Just wait on him and tour seas will be much calmer.

2. No matter what storms are in your life, keep your eyes on Jesus.  He doesn't want us to be afraid.  He is right here with us. 

How do you picture Jesus?  Is he a regular passenger on your boat or do you continually leave him alone on the shore?

God bless you :)

Kelly

linked with Brag on God Friday

3 comments:

  1. Wow Kelly, excellent points at the end there. I know I go and make my own plans and then come running back to Him when they fail. I should take Him with me from the start.
    Great post
    God bless and have an awesome weekend
    Tracy

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  2. Great post, Kelly! There is a similar post at Woman to Woman today. I don't ever want to go out on my own, leaving Jesus behind. I can't make it without Him!

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  3. Good post, Kelly. I'm afraid I leave Jesus on shore too many times. I'm trying to be more intentional about making sure He goes with me...and what a difference that makes!

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