Word for Wednesday
And He saw them toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them; and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. Mark 6:48
I unfastened the rope that tied a yearling heifer in the barn stable, and led the skittish animal outside. My task was to put her into the pasture behind the barn. But outside the barn, the contrary critter had other ideas. She wanted to make her way down the lane toward the brook instead of toward the pasture. She was much bigger than me; I was only eight years old. As I struggled to hold onto the rope, and pull the heifer toward the pasture, she put down her head and backed slowly down the lane, dragging me with her. My feet began to slip in the muddy barnyard and I saw we were headed for a muddy puddle. The heifer was winning the battle, and there was nothing I could do about it. Suddenly the rope in my hand stiffened from the opposite direction, and the heifer stopped. I looked back to see that my father had taken hold of the rope and was now in charge of the situation. Unknown to me, he had been watching all the time, and had stepped in to help when I had reached my limit. Our text tells us that the Lord Jesus is watching us, too, especially in the tough situations.
It was a rough night on the sea, our text tells us. The disciples were frustrated and tired, and no doubt frightened by the storm. They thought they were alone, but Jesus was watching them all the way. Our lives are also full of storms. We get frustrated and weary and sad, and we feel that nobody knows or cares. But there is not a moment of our lives that He is unaware of or does not care deeply about. He sees us toiling, and knows all about it.
One reason why the disciples might have been discouraged was their belief that the Lord Jesus could not help them in the middle of the sea. He had no way of reaching them, they might reason. But He did reach them. He can always reach us, too, regardless of the situation or the conditions.
Can you see the Lord Jesus approaching you in your troubled situation? Take another look; He’s just a prayer away from providing all the help you need. -Jim MacIntosh