Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Does Jesus Ever Freak YOU Out?

I have been reading John 6 for days and days, an inch at a time. It's taken me years to come to an appreciation of John; now that I understand that he writes more by topic than by chronology, it's easier to track. And I'm learning so much from his topics.
For instance, John 6:16-21.
"When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, and they took a boat and were going across the sea to Capernaum."
They were doing something they knew how to do. Same old routine. But then,
"It was now dark, and still Jesus had not [yet] come back to them."
Dun-dun-dun-duh.
"Meanwhile, the sea was getting rough and rising high because of a great and violent wind that was blowing."
Suddenly, into the midst of their normalcy, which they had under control, even in the dark, without Jesus, came a wind they could not manage.
"[However] when they had rowed three or four miles,"
--not stubborn in their pride, necessarily, just desperate to survive the only way left. Apparently.
"they saw Jesus walking on the sea and approaching the boat. And they were afraid (terrified)."
Then Jesus showed up, demonstrating His authority with an alternative solution to survival, and it was scarier than the storm!
"But Jesus said to them, It is I; be not afraid. [I AM; stop being frightened!]"
He reassured them, not with demonstrations of His superiority over them or nature or the situation, but by simply reminded them that He IS. That was supposed to be enough. And it was!
"Then they were quite willing and glad for Him to come into the boat."
Not until we're convinced that God is GOD do we truly desire to invite Him to handle disaster. Anything less than I AM is no help to us.
"And now the boat went at once to the land they had steered toward. [And immediately they reached the shore toward which they had been slowly making their way.]"
Once all that is established-- the storm interrupting our standard sufficiency, our helplessness, and His good self-existence-- it's amazing how quickly the objective can be reached.

From these musings I gather: 1.) I should not be surprised to find God interrupting areas in which I have self-confidence; 2.) I should not resist humility when it arrives in the form of miracles I could not work; 3.) I should not push Him away when He shows up to take over; 4.) I should marinate in His I AM-ness, and 5.) I should enjoy in peace the ensuing ride, however long or short it is.

4 comments:

Samantha said...

I love your reflections Jessie! Particularly where you mention that only when we see God as GOD do we feel comforted and know He can help - and how quickly we are comforted when we trust in His very "IS"-ness.

Mama Griffith, said...

Gods ways are the best ways!

Emily said...

Ooo...I really like this. Thank you my dear.

w.v.: lionic -how cool is that word?!

Debbie said...

Thank you, Honey.

I AM. Stop being frightened. Okay.

Amen on 1-5. :)