Lets Just Suppose, You and I When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and He was alone on the land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night He went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw Him walking on the lake, they thought He was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke to them and said, Take courage! It is I. Dont be afraid. Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:47-52) Lord, thank You again for welcoming us into You Presence. We worship You Lord. Thank You for forgiving all of our sins through Your Son Jesus Christ. We thank You that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to the glory of You. Thank You Dad, in Jesus Name we pray. Amen. Lets just suppose, you and I, one of the Jesus disciples kept a journal. And suppose that disciple made an entry in the journal on the morning after the storm. And suppose we discovered that journal. Could it be possible that it would read like this . . . . Only minutes before, chaos had erupted. Oh, how the storm roared. Now, I just imagine. Stars were hidden by a black ceiling. Clouds billowed like smoke. Bolts of lightning were the conductors baton that cued the kettledrums of thunder to rumble. And rumble they did.The clouds seemed to rise as a bear on hind legs and growl. The booms shook everything: the Heavens, the earth, and---most of all---the sea. It was as if the Sea of Galilee was in a bowl in the hands of a dancing giant. From the bowels of the lake the waves came, turning the glassy surface into a mountain range of snow-topped waves. Five, ten, even fifteen feet into the air they mounted, rising and falling like swallows chasing mosquitoes. In the midst of the sea, our boat bounced. The waves slapped it as easily as children would a ball. Our straining at the oars scarcely budged it. We were at the storms mercy. The waves lifted us up so high that we felt like we were in midair. Then down into the valley we plunged. We were a twig in a whirlpool . . . a leaf in the wind. We were helpless. Thats when the light appeared. At first I thought it was a reflection of the moon, a gleam on the surface of the water. But the night held no moon. I looked again. The light was moving toward us, not over the waves, but through them. I wasnt the only one who saw it. A ghost, someone screamed. Fear of the sea was eclipsed by a new terror. Thoughts raced as the specter drew near. Was it a figment of our imagination? Was it a vision? Who? How? What was this mystical light that appeared so . . . ? A flash of lightning illuminated the sky. For a second I could see its face . . . His face. A second was all I needed. It was the Master! He spoke: Take courage! It is I. Dont be afraid (Mark 6:50). Nothing had changed. The storm still raged. The wind still shrieked. The boat still pitched. The thunder still boomed. The rain still slapped. But in the midst of the tumult, I could hear His voice. Although, He was still far away, it was like He was by my side. The night was ferocious, yet He spoke as though the sea was placid and the sky silent. And somehow, courage came. Lord, if its You . . . tell me to come to You on the water. (Matthew 14:28). The voice was Peters. He wasnt being cocky. He wasnt demanding proof. He knew that the boat would soon go down. He knew that Jesus was standing up. And he knew where he wanted to be . . . where we all wanted to be . . . standing up. Come on, Jesus invited. So Peter climbed over the side and stepped onto the sea. Before him opened a trail through a forest of waves. He stepped quickly. Water splashed. But he kept going. This path to Jesus was a ribbon of calm. It was peaceful. Serene. Jesus radiated light at the end of the trail. Smiling. Peter stepped toward the light like it was his only hope. He was half way there when we all heard a thunder. It boomed and he stopped. I saw his head turn. He looked up at the sky. He looked up at the clouds. He felt the wind. And down he went. Boy did he yell! A hand came through the water sheets and grabbed Peter. Lightning flashed again, and I could see the face of Jesus. I noticed that His smile was gone. Hurt covered His face. It was like He couldnt believe that we couldnt believe. Danger to us was just a detour to Him. I wanted to ask Him, Arent You afraid, Jesus? Arent You afraid? But I said nothing. Before I knew it, He was in the boat with us. The sea stilled as silk. The winds hushed. A canyon opened in the clouds; soft moonlight fell over the water. It happened instantaneously. It didnt take the rest of the night. It didnt take an hour. It didnt take a minute. Come to think of it, it happened in a blink. From chaos to calm. From panic to peace. The sky was so suddenly silent that I could hear my heart pounding. I thought I was dreaming. Then I saw the wide eyes of the others and felt my clothing soaked against my skin. This was no dream. I looked at the water. I looked at Peter. I looked at the others. And then I looked at Him. And then I did the only thing I could have done. With stars as my candle and a stilled boat as my altar, I fell at His feet and worshiped. There are times in a persons life when, even in the midst of them, you know youll never be the same. Moments that forever serve as journey posts. This was one. I had never seen Jesus as I saw Him then. I had seen Him as powerful. I had seen Him as wise. I had witnessed His authority and marveled at His abilities. But what I witnessed last night, I know Ill never forget. I saw God. The God Who cant sit still when the storm is too strong. The God Who lets me get frightened enough to need Him and then comes close enough for me to see Him. The God Who uses my storms as His path to come to me. I saw God. It took a storm for me to see Him. But I saw Him. And Ill never be the same. Your link today is: AFTER ALL https://youtube/watch?v=BmFnS83d1pM You be blessed now, you hear! His Names Jesus Ministries & I. C. Music Corporation May you be blessed, Ric
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 21:53:22 +0000
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