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“Lean on your Beloved, because the soul who abandons themselves in the hands of Jesus in all they do, is carried in his arms.” St. Clare
SCRIPTURE & DEVOTION: Mark 6:45-52
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Don't be afraid.
During the lent season we prepare our hearts for Easter. Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus was preparing His disciples for his death and resurrection. Everything he did had a purpose. So what was Jesus trying to teach them when He walked on water?
They had just seen His power in the feeding of the five thousand. This was a different display of His power. Not only did he walk on water but when he got in the boat the wind died down and, “They were completely amazed.”
Jesus could have made the way easy. He could have got in the boat with them from the beginning and made the sea calm, but then they would never have seen God’s power at work in Him. And what was His message to them? “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.” His power was greater than the waves.
Sometimes in life we struggle mightily. We “strain against the oars” and it seems that the wind is against us. Jesus allows these things to happen so that we may see His power at work. His message to us is the same as it was to the disciples. “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid."
The disciples were going to face many struggles but they eventually came to believe that the power of God was greater than whatever they were facing. We likewise go through struggles. The message of Jesus is the same then as it is now. “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid."
Dave Morris
Prayer:
Lord,
We see and hear so much that can make us afraid. We struggle and strain in our thoughts and our minds - we worry when we don't see or understand Your power. Thank You that You get into the boat with us. We thank You for Your words that give us courage.