45 ¶ Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the nightfn he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
I got my deer yesterday evening.
As we went through the processing, my husband pointed out that the buck I shot had an extra layer of fat.
It hardened the process of processing.
I was intrigued by this Word this morning.
The part where Jesus was misunderstood.
They thought He was a Ghost and not the Holy Kind.
And,
He meant to pass them by-
but their recognition of Him,
even though misunderstood,
Drew His Presence…
Closer,
And into their situation.
He had been watching.
He knew the winds were getting fierce.
He had His eye on them the whole time,
but He didn’t manifest until the fourth watch.
He draws on us to persevere.
By that time, they were full of the storm and their hearts had grown dull of perspective.
But once they heard Him,
They knew.
And then, He joined them and their situation changed.
So, let’s talk about our understanding.
Now, because of Resurrection, Holy Ghost lives in us at all times.
But how much of that reality are we understanding?
Is our heart hardened to what we’ve seen Him do?
These boys had just witnessed a miracle with the loaves and fishes that very day-
And were now witnessing one again, but they thought it to be fearful.
How many times do we face things where we see Jesus and perceive what He is doing as fearful?
We’re in the middle of a miracle but dread has tainted our faith lens.
Jesus was walking on water in a hurricane!
Again, He wanted them, and us, to realize that He is Master over All created things.
But they had already lost most of their perception.
However, just like the seemingly small seed of loaves and fish, in proportion to the 5,000,
Was their seemingly small recognition of who He was.
But it was enough for Jesus to work with!
Hallelujah!
As we harvest the tender loins of the deer we got, He is using even the smallest example to paint a picture of what our heart should look like.
Tender– loins.
Cut the fat, Father.
Wherever my heart has hardened to see you clearly,
Cut it out.
Help me not be fearful, but faithfull, when your Presence-
is actually, the reality that you’re doing something in and for me-
in the midst of my storm.
Give us clear perception.
It’s Jesus we’re looking at.
Nothing at all to dread.
In Him, we Trust.
Amen.
ThankFully Restored 