Scripture

Our verse for today comes from John 6:19, “When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.”

Background

The new year, with all its hopes and dreams and challenges and uncertainties. And many of us will attempt to secure a better year than last by making resolutions for ourselves. There will be vows of better eating, more exercise, more time spent in prayer, longer patience, stronger self-discipline, and on and on. Goals we set and missed this past year will once again be set for the coming one. Our hope is that we won’t find ourselves in the same boat, as it were, next year that we might be in today. But the question is, what is the boat that you are in? The disciples were out on the sea, battling against the elements in the middle of the night, when they saw what appeared to be a ghost. Now, a ghost walking over the water, if they even believed in such things, was bad enough. But what really scared them was that it was coming near the boat. That is the thrust for which they had no parry. What do you do out on the sea before dawn when the wind is howling and a ghost approaches your boat? Now, we know, and they quickly found out, that it was Jesus walking towards them. And His words of calm did just that, as they recognized Him and welcomed Him onto the boat.

Application

But for us, it is not always so. We have boats of our own, and sometimes Jesus approaching them is the last thing that we want. Oh, we say we want Him in a part of our lives or to do a certain work, but as He approaches us about it, that’s when we recoil in fear or denial. We don’t mind Him walking about doing wonders on the water, we just don’t want Him coming near us. And too, some of the unknowns and uncertainties that make us feel adrift and afraid are actually Jesus approaching us in the midst of our storm. The winds and the dark make it difficult to see Him, but if we could hear His Word, then our worries would dissolve away. So, what boat are you striving in, and what will Jesus do about it? Will you continue to be afraid of Him having sovereignty over it, or will you welcome Him in? And, will you look into the dark with the eyes of faith and trust and know it’s Jesus holding on tightly to you?

Charge

As we seek Him today, look inside your heart for the boat that is going with you into this coming year. And ask our Heavenly Father to make of it what He wants in the new year.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words

Distributed by – BCWorldview.org