In Mark 6:45-52, we read about how Jesus sent the people He had ministered to go home. After spending some time in prayer, He set out for Bethsaida, the place He had told His disciples to go ahead of Him.
However, late that night, the disciples were in the middle of the lake, battling the waves, while Jesus was alone on land. He saw them straining at the paddles, struggling against the wind”.
“Late that night” suggests to me that He had been watching them struggle long before 3:00 AM, the time He finally set out toward Bethsaida, walking on the water.
As I studied, what caught my attention was “He would have passed them by” if they hadn’t cried out in fear when they noticed Him! Honestly, I have read this story quite a number of times but it hit differently this time.
I understood how we may sometimes feel like God is silent in our situation, like He’s just passing by while we’re struggling. You’ve probably asked, “Why me, Lord? Why is all this happening to me?”
I imagine Jesus might have thought to Himself, “These men, these children ehn, when will they learn? Maybe I should just go ahead on my own; they’ll figure it out eventually.”
He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they were capable of handling the storm.
These were the same disciples through whom great power had already been displayed in the villages where they had just preached. If demons had obeyed them and the sick had been healed at their command, could the wind and waves possibly be beyond their control? (Mark 6:7-13)
In fact, they had just witnessed the miraculous feeding of thousands with a few loaves and fish! But, as Scripture points out, their hearts were too hard to fully grasp the significance of that miracle.
If they had stopped to reflect, they would have realized that if God could multiply bread through their hands, there was truly no limit to what He could do through them.
It’s easy to judge the disciples. “How could they not understand?”. “How could they not think to rebuke the wind themselves?” We might wonder, but if we’re honest, we are often just like them.
We’ve seen God’s power, experienced His miracles, and tasted His goodness, yet, in the face of the next challenge, we doubt. We hesitate. We forget that the same God who came through before is still with us now.
You see, for many of us Christians, God expects so much more from us than we are giving which is understandable, honestly. The average person has been through so much that I often celebrate the strength they’ve shown just to forge ahead or make the impact they’re making, despite their pain and past trauma.
However, this doesn’t change the fact that God expects more. I was speaking with someone dear to me when she shared a vision that had been lingering in her heart. She explained how, every time she prayed for clarity, she was left with the impression of something being veiled, like a mask obscuring what she sought to understand. No matter how much she pressed in prayer, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the answer she was seeking was hidden in the unveiling.
As we talked, I realized that as believers, we could have agreed and lifted that veil in prayer. But I believe it would have been even better if she had partnered directly with the Holy Spirit to address the situation.
You see, every time we work with the Holy Spirit to address a situation and witness change, it builds our confidence. The more we work with God directly, the bolder and more assured we become. What once used to scare us easily soon becomes just another opportunity to exercise our faith, like a walk in the park.
Miracles, signs and wonders are for everyone who believes, not just a select few. They’re not reserved for pastors, evangelists, prophets or teachers, they’re for anyone who believes in the name of Jesus Christ.
As a Mother, here’s how I think God feels when we always run to another believer to address a situation without first bringing it to Him…
If my son keeps going through someone else, like his brother, every time he needs something from me, at first, I’d be fine with it and provide what he needs through his brother, much like how God hears the prayers of men and women of God who pray for us. But eventually, I’d start feeling bad.
It would hurt me if my son didn’t understand that I would never withhold anything good from him.
Despite my human limitations, I often know what he needs before he asks, just like our Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:8).
Why wouldn’t he just come to me directly? Honestly? At some point, I wouldn’t grant his needs through someone else anymore; I’d ask them to tell him to come to me himself!
That’s when you’d start hearing messages along the lines of, “God wants you for Himself, He wants you to know Him, to have a relationship with Him.”
Sometimes, you may even be told to fast and pray for a number of days to address a situation, not because God can’t fix it in an instant, but because that time of fasting and prayer will bring you closer to Him.
This isn’t to say you can handle every situation all on your own, there is, and always will be, a need to hold hands with fellow believers and agree in prayer.
Nonetheless, take the first step. Do something. Bring it to God. Partner with the Holy Spirit and begin addressing the issue before reaching out to others. By doing so, you’re exercising the faith and authority He has already given you.
