Ever notice how a long trip doesn’t seem so long when you are in good company? Good fellowship along the way makes time go fast. By the same token, when things aren’t going well, time seems to stand still.
In the evening, after feeding and teaching the 5,000, John 6:17 tells us Jesus had not yet joined the disciples. I wonder where he was… Was he lingering discussing a few things with people who had questions… Was he alone talking with his Father… And why did the disciples leave without him? Had he told them to go on ahead and he would catch up? Or did they say, “He’s still not here; let’s just leave without him.”
After the disciples had rowed between 3-4 miles in the strong wind, they saw a man approaching them – walking on the water! Since you can’t walk on water, they were likely sure they were seeing a ghost. But they were all seeing the same ghost! John says they were terrified. Jesus saw their fear and immediately told them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” John 6:20
“Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” John 6:21
It seems that at least for the moment, their troubles were over. They no longer had to row hard with strong winds causing large waves. They got to their destination quickly with no more trouble.
I wonder how many times I leave Jesus behind because I’m in a hurry to get my day started or to get on with the next project. I work hard and things don’t seem to go well. The ‘winds’ in my life keep slowing me down and make it difficult to get to my goal. Why does this person need to talk now? Why does that person need a ride now? Why did the equipment fail now?
And then here comes this ‘ghost’ walking on the water. It may be a complete interruption in what I am doing and I am terrified. How can I take time now to help this person or talk with them when they need encouragement? How can I get my tasks done and meet the needs of my family, friends, and community? There certainly is not enough of me to go around. I’m terrified by what I perceive are demands on my day.
Then I hear Jesus’ voice saying, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” And if I can still my fear enough to recognize his voice, I invite him to join me in my day. And suddenly, things begin to go better and I am confident that I can get done what Jesus has put on my schedule for the day – even if I can’t get all my own agenda done. And I can rest in peace knowing that I reached my destination safely.
I wonder why I have such a hard time ‘getting it’. It is so simple. Start the day with Jesus and everything will go better! So why when I have an extra full day do I tend to cut my time with him and say, “I’ll talk with you later,” and then never get there. I need to be with him first thing in the morning every day. I know that. I’m so thankful that he is willing to walk up in the middle of my storms and get in the boat with me, even when I left without him. What an amazing friend he is!
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