Are you a boat person?
Have you ever gone through the breakers to get out to sea? Even with a good pilot at the helm, it can be hair raising. Waves are powerful and with all the tech in a modern boat, and all the power on those engines, it only takes one wave to end the party quickly!
A good helmsman will look out over the water and say… not today boys (except the one or two that says “hold my beer and watch this!”)
My point is that when Jesus got into the boat in Galilee (Matt 8:23) the fishermen in the group knew the water, they knew the lake, they knew the weather, and they had no issues. But halfway through the trip, a storm developed. Some commentaries says it was an earthquake that created tidal waves (because, again, the fishermen knew their waters)
Regardless… the situation was:
- Supercool: Days of miracles and followers
- get onto a boat, going on a trip
- Jesus goes to sleep, the disciples enjoy sundowners on the deck
- disaster out of nowhere!
I do not know an adult that has not fallen on their knees in dispair. That has not proclaimed: This is the end.
Our waves was maybe made out of paper instead of water, or stranded in the middle of nowhere on the couch in our own living room… but nothing short of a miracle can change our fate.
Now… we know that Jesus can heal the sick. Cure deafness, heal broken bones, give sight… you know basic stuff.
But has He ever had to negotiate with an Insurance company? Has he ever had to sort out a water and lights bill with the council? Has he ever needed to apply for a job where 600 other applicant applied before you… on the same day? Has he ever needed to tell his kids to drink two glasses of water and then go to bed because thats the only way to trick their tummies to think it’s full and get them to sleep, maybe we can find food tomorrow.
Our miracles are much more complicated… not sure God, the spinner of galaxies, is quite up to it, is He?
But then the doorbell rings, and when you go and answer, there are bags of food that someone dropped off… or a car. The doctors office calls and asked that you come in again to get retested because the bloodwork seems to have gone dodgy because they can’t find the bad news they knew is in there.
We live in miracles every single day. We live in grace… every single day.
The only people I could find in the bible that didn’t experience miracles with Jesus, are the ones that turned away. The ones that had their eyes on the world instead of God. Don’t look left, don’t look right… look up. Lift your chin and start by remembering every miracle and thanking God for every provision. Joy comes from gratitude and fuels Faith!
Like a friend of mine said recently: “we are about to become part of such a great testimony!”
