When the rowing gets tough...

OK...some more thoughts on being in the boat and finding the waves against us...

This time I'm in Matthew 14, and I'm interested in a couple of distinctions between this situation and the one I talked about before from Matthew 8.

*There Jesus went with the disciples; here he sends them on their own.
*There the storm came up suddenly; here it's not even described as a storm, but a prolonged experience with wind and waves that are contrary.
*There Jesus slept in the boat; here Jesus prayed on the mountain.
*There they panicked and woke him up; here they rowed for all they were worth.
*There they were afraid when he was in the boat; here they were terrified when he showed up.

It's interesting how often we get in the middle of difficult circumstances and forget that Jesus has promised to be with us all the time.  We don't have to be alert to the presence of the Lord for it to be a reality.  He is not nearer to us because he "feels" nearer.  He is always with us.

Here in Matthew 14, Jesus was completely aware of where the disciples were and what they were going through.  They were doing their part (rowing); Jesus was coming to them, having prayed for them.  The going was tough, but it was just a stroll for Jesus.  In fact, Mark says that Jesus meant to pass by them.  He was out for a stroll on the same lake they were struggling to cross.

He finally got in the boat (after Peter's attempt at water-walking) and the wind immediately died down.  Then they proceeded to cross on over to Gennesaret.

Why do I (maybe you too) forget that Jesus is there in the middle of every experience?  Why do I forget that I just need to do my part and he will come at just the right time with just the right application of his grace and will accomplish all that needs to be done so he can be glorified the most?  If he sent me to do what I am doing, then I just need to keep doing it until he shows up in power and finishes the job. 

I'm glad that I can trust Jesus to know where I am at all times; to care deeply about what is going on in my life; to be there in every experience and to really show up at just the right time to make sure he gets the most glory in the situation.  How about you?

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