AND THEN, JESUS CAME

Matt. 14:24-27  Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had arisen, and they were fighting heavy waves.  About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water.  When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost.  But Jesus spoke to them at once.  “It’s all right,” he said.  “I am here!  Don’t be afraid.”  NLT

       In verse 23 we find Jesus praying.  Have you ever wondered what He was praying about?  Was He praying for the crowd He had just sent home after feeding them physically and spiritually?  Was He praying for himself because by now He surely must have been exhausted?  Or, was He praying for the disciples?  Perhaps He asked our Father to send them a storm to help them believe and trust in Him.  Perhaps He prayed for them because He knew they would be in trouble and needed His help.  Perhaps they would need the strength to endure until He got there.

       I believe Jesus does pray for us ahead of our difficulties in life.  He knows what we need even before we need it.  He knows what lies ahead of us and works to prepare us for it.  He never lets us face life’s struggles defenseless or lacking the resources to deal with them. 

       We find the disciples in trouble.  Perhaps you have been there as well.  It is no fun to be in a situation that you can’t control and threatens your very existence.  I am sure by now the disciples were at the end of their ropes.  They simply did not know what to do.  They were helpless and by now hopeless.  And then, Jesus came.  I can understand how they became scared.  His appearance was totally unexpected and very unusual.  After all, wouldn’t you be scared to be at the end of your rope and then all of a sudden see Jesus appear walking on water to come and help you?  And, don’t overlook the fact that it was 3:00 in the morning.

      Jesus did not leave His disciples helpless or hopeless.  He came to their rescue.  He waited until they were ready for His help, and then He showed up.  He came to them in their hour of need and spoke words of comfort and peace.  He reached out to them to help them out of their trouble.  There is no time in which He is not available to help those who call on Him.

       Don’t wait until you exhaust all of your strength and resources before you let the Lord help you.  When you find yourself heading for trouble, call on Him right away.  Save yourself a lot of grief and pain.  Let the Lord lead you out of your trouble and give you the comfort and peace you need.  He will do it if you let Him.