Mark – God is On Our Side!
It is healthy in all kinds of ways to close down the shouts of the world, the situations that challenge us and circumstances around us that concern us. It is good to get by ourselves to talk with God. It is spiritually and emotionally healthy because God designed us to stop in the midst of helping others to remind us it is HIS work and HE invited us to HIS work. When we can really understand this, we relax, for the results of the work do not belong to us, only to God. Our part is to trust and obey willingly and immediately. The rest is up to God.
Jesus “went up to into the hills by himself to pray”. He didn’t go away just to pull away from the crowds so much as He was drawn to that part of Himself who said and did only what the Father tells Him to say and do. God, the Father, and His Son needed to talk. What were those conversations like? Father to Son? What I do know from reading God’s Word is that Jesus, as the Son of Man, didn’t move ahead of God. He went to God first, in between and sometimes during times of helping people turn to back to God. The will of God and the obedience of His Son were in perfect harmony.
We cannot do anything of significance without first drawing close to the One with all the answers, the One who loves us most, and the One who is in control. Jesus is our perfect example of asking the Father what HE wants next, “not my will, but Yours”.
After time alone with the Father, until the early hours of the next day, Jesus walks on water! Did God tell Him to do this? Did God remind Jesus who God is, the Creator of the winds and the waves? Did God give the command in their talk in the mountains to go across the lake in this way…to walk across? Did God chuckle a bit when He told Jesus, “You know what would be fun…walk across the lake.” “Don’t worry, we can do this!”Whatever God asks us to do, will we do it, no matter how incredible it seems to us? What is the measure of our trust and resulting obedience?
I’m asking myself that question as I read our next passage…
Mark 6, NLT
Jesus Walks on Water
45 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.
47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50 They were all terrified when they saw him.But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, 52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.
53 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore 54 and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, 55 and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.
ONE MORE THOUGHT…
Jesus “intended to go past them” but they saw Him…as not real, an apparition. How many times does Jesus walk past us without recognition? Do we look for Him as He works in our lives to settle our seas of trouble? I love watching God work in our daily lives.
Jesus calms their hearts with “Don’t be afraid, take courage, I’m here!” Wow, we can take courage, too, knowing His Holy Spirit is always with us as promised by Jesus. So let’s do it right now, today! Take courage! It is a gift. Have peace on the rocky waters of our lives. Love greatly because Jesus loves us even more! Jesus is here among us, living in those who believe and follow Him.
Dear Heavenly Father, You are God and we are not. We cannot do life without you. We do not want to do life without you. YOU are life! Thank you for living in us. Thank you for calming our fears, giving us the gift of peace, and forever loving us unconditionally. Here I am, before you, listening for what You want me to think, say and do for today. Guide my every thought and action. I want what you want.
In Jesus Name, Amen
And I’m singing…an oldie but a goodie…to me, anyway.
JUST A LITTLE TALK WITH JESUS
I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in
And then a little light from Heaven filled my soul
He bathed my heart in love and wrote my name above
And just a little talk with Jesus made me whole
Now let us have a little talk with Jesus
Let us tell Him all about our troubles
He will hear our faintest cry and we will answer by and by
Now when you feel a little prayer wheel turning
You’ll know a little fire is burning
You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right
I may have doubts and fears my eyes be filled with tears
But Jesus is a friend who watches day and night
Oh, I go to Him in prayer, He knows my every care
And just a little talk with Jesus gonna makes it right
Now let us have a little talk with Jesus
Let us tell Him all about our troubles
He will hear our faintest cry and we will answer by and by
Now when you feel a little prayer wheel turning
You’ll know a little fire is burning
You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right
Now let us have a little talk with Jesus
Let us tell Him all about our troubles
He will hear our faintest cry and we will answer by and by
Now when you feel a little prayer wheel turning
Then you’ll know a little fire is burning
You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right
