Today let us focus on our friendship with Jesus.
Today’s scripture: John 6:16-21
One of the phrases that has entered into our vocabulary over the past couple of years is “in this economy”. I find it very… well for lack of anything better stupid. What other economy would there be in the USA than this economy, it’s not like we can easily just leave it and go somewhere else. But that isn’t the point of the phrase when people say “in this economy” they mean in this economic slump. The crazy thing is that the reason people are concerned with “this economy” is that they have lost perspective and lived outside their means so when a slump occurs they can’t adjust. Well slumps and darkness happen. Its kindof the norm in life. There are cycles, seasons so to speak. The wisdom of the writer of Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything war and peace, want and abundance, a time for everything under heaven. So what will we do about the more depressing aspects of life?
Jesus’s disciples today were in a slump. They went from Jesus feeding a crowd of people to being sent away across the sea and Jesus stayed behind. I haven’t really thought about that aspect of these verses before. They were sent away and Jesus stayed behind. He didn’t want them to stick around but wanted to be alone. Can you imagine the fear and hurt they must have been feeling. Jesus just performed something amazing and then sent them away. They were excited about the posibilities, and they were sent away. I have felt that way. I have thought something great was on the verge and then suddenly evrything changed. Does that mean I was in the wrong and missed God’s will, no I believe those times are times of preperation, and growth.
The strom and wind blew how do you think you would feel? After something amazing we feel a natural excitment carrying us, but there are always storms that blow us off course again. This is where we really spend of time. In the dark nights, on the dark path, in the storm a place where we don’t see what God is doing, leading, or going. During these times we may lose ground, we may even lose our faith, we nearly always lose our desire to pursue God. But God is there. The disciples were in the middle of their storm and fearing for their life and there was Christ calming the sea. And intrestingly enough as soon as they were back in His presence they found themselve right where they were wanting to be.
Storms of life are around to strengthen, to thicken our faith. Although they are hard we only need to know Jesus does have our back. Seek Him and His ways pursue the passions He gives us and row on to the other side becase He will not leave us. In these darker days of our history what will the end result be? Who knows for sure but what we can know is we will become stronger, smarter, and more effective witnesses. Before we know it we will be through the storm safely on the other side learning what we needed.
Fear not! He is there. He is a friend that sticks with us no matter what. What kind of friend will we be in this storm?
Discussion
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