Jesus is Essential
John 6:15–21: Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
So there were the disciples, battling the gale, wondering if they would make it to shore. The storm was raging. The waves were immense. The spray kept dashing over the ship.
The masts had begun to crack, and water was sloshing in the dark hold of their beleaguered ship. The disciples probably wondered, “Has the Lord forgotten us?” But Jesus had not forsaken them, even though it looked as if he had. 1
Walking with Jesus
They obeyed Jesus and still faced a major storm. Life is like that. Jesus is asking for obedience even into some major storms. He knows and He cares, and He will come to our rescue. The Christian life is a ‘keep on trusting” faith in an ever-present God.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? Psalm 139:7
If Jesus is not in your boat, you will eventually sink into the darkness of life.
Praying
Lord, thank You for calming my fears by Your very word.
1. Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
