47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48He 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, 49but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
Monday, August 27, 2007
Daily QT: 08/27/2007 Mark 6:47-50
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When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the (A)fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them.
But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, "(B)Take courage; it is I, (C)do not be afraid." (Mark 6:47-50 - NASB)
Here, we can see how concerned Jesus is about his disciples, as they strain at the oars due to the strong wind. Jesus immediately takes action and goes out to them and tries to comfort them. I wonder why the disciples think He is a ghost and are terrified at his sight, as Jesus walks on the lake. Since the weather is stormy and possibly rainy, their vision could be blurry. Regardless, however, the break down of the terrified disciples shows that they have no faith in our omnipotent & omnipresent God. I wonder how I would reacted if I had been in the same situation as they disciples are here. I don't think I would have been much different, since I also seek the protection and comfort of this world when hardships approach me, rather than clining to Christ as His faithful disciple. God, please have mercy on me, and give me faith, strength and courage wherever I go and whatever I do. Amen.
"Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." AH! How comforting to hear that from God! This verse fits perfectly into my life at the moment.
I have once again conformed to the world hiding in worrisome. I often forget as my belief slowly fades away during tough times that God is really with me and I don't need to be afraid. Even when the disciples were physically with God, they were afraid. It truly shows how weak we are.
I must take courage for God is with ! Amen!
We must remember that the disciples did not yet know that Jesus was the son of God. Nothing had prepared them to expect such a miracle. It's a miracle that we take for granted now - that the Lord so loved the world that he sent his only son to us. But actually, this concept is truly mind blowing. That is why it took so long for the disciples to begin to grasp who he truly was. How lovely that Jesus was so patient in revealing his glory. He waited until his disciples were ready. He encouraged them to grow in their faith so that they could see the truth for themselves. We must also be patient and gentle when witnessing to others about Christ. It's a difficult concept to grasp and accept - even for those who knew him and lived with him for three years.
Of course we're not able to cross the great divide between ourselves and God. Yet if God sees us struggling with all our heart, mind, body to reach him - he will take pity upon us. He will cross over to us and save us. He did so through Jesus Christ.
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