#DailyDevotion Have We Forgotten? Have Our Hearts Been Hardened So We Don’t Pray?

Mark 6:47-52 ⁴⁷When it got late, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸Jesus saw they were in great trouble as they rowed, because the wind was against them. Toward morning He came to them, walking on the sea. He wanted to pass by them. ⁴⁹They saw Him walking on the sea, and thinking He was a ghost, they cried out, ⁵⁰because they had all seen Him and were terrified. Immediately He talked to them. “Have courage!” He said. “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ⁵¹ He came into the boat with them, and the wind died down. The disciples were completely dumbfounded. ⁵²They hadn’t understood about the loaves. Their minds were dull.

Let’s work backward a little bit today. We have to go back to the feeding of the 5000. You see the text for today says the disciples were out of their wits concerning this current episode of Jesus today. They were out of their wits because they hadn’t understood about the loaves and their hearts were hardened. So what exactly were they supposed to get from the loaves that would have kept them from getting out of their wits seeing Jesus walk on the water? Who he is.

You see, when they saw Jesus feeding the 5000 people [grown males] (not including women and children that were probably there also) with the five loaves and two fish, I think they were not only get that Jesus was the prophet promised like Moses, but was that he was the same LORD who showered down upon the Israelites manna in the morning and quails at dusk. He was the same LORD who could command the wind and the waves earlier. So if he was, and he is, that LORD walking on the water at twilight would be no big deal. The Psalmist says in 93, ⁴“but more than the noise of vast waters and mightier than the waves of the sea is the might of the LORD above!” Job said in chapter 9, ⁸“He alone stretched out the heavens and walks on the high waves of the sea.” So they should have believed, known, and trusted Jesus is that LORD when they saw him walking by them.

Now I think most people are curious as to why Jesus wanted to pass by them. In other words, he was just going to let them struggle with the seas as he walked over to the other side. He wasn’t planning on getting in the boat with them. Why wasn’t he going out to help them? Well, I guess it’s because they weren’t in any danger like they were when they were in the storm. Secondly, they weren’t asking for any help. I don’t know, how often do we struggle daily and don’t ask our Father in heaven for help and because we’re in no danger he just lets us deal with it without him? It appears that is what the disciples were doing, struggling with the boat, the wind and the waves and never giving a thought to asking God for help. Do we think our Father isn’t interested in helping? Do we think our need too small to bother him with even a quick petition directed towards him? How often could our suffering end if we just asked God our Father for help? How often could have received the strength we needed to endure something because we simply forgot we are children of God and our Father would give us the strength we need if we but asked?

Jesus seeing and hearing them terrified because they thought he was a ghost tries to calm them, “It is I, don’t be afraid.” We have a promise Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. He dwells in our hearts as much as is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. Let us not be afraid but turn to our Father in prayer in every time of need and be be refreshed.

Heavenly Father, grant us strength for the day, deliver us from every trouble and move our hearts to pray so we may be refreshed in every situation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

#devotion, #Jesus, #Christ, #Messaiah, #Prayer, #LORD, #YHWH