5 Things To Know About Walking on the Water

Jesus made them or compelled them to get in the boat. Why did He have to make them? Getting in the boat wasn’t what they wanted. Why? We do not know.

a) Perhaps it was the huge crowd of people. The Rabbis taught that when the Messiah came one of the signs He was the true Messiah was that He would provide bread for the people like Moses did in the wilderness. Jesus had just fed 5,000. You can also understand more clearly the temptation of Satan in the wilderness. It was more than tempting Jesus to eat something, it was to fulfill the expectations of the people and give manna from heaven. Let’s don’t leave, they are about to make you king. We can be apart of the new kingdom.b) Might not have wanted to leave because as experienced fishermen they could see that a storm was brewing and to travel all night rowing into a storm was not what they wanted.

c) Perhaps they didn’t want to leave because Jesus wasn’t going with them.

Our ways are not God’s ways. The things that we desire are not always the things of God. For example, I didn’t want to preach and Tonya didn’t want to marry a preacher boy. We must model Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, not my will but Thine be done.”

Can you imagine in the middle of the Lake, a storm is buffeting you, you have been rowing all night long and still are only half way across the lake. Not only did they not get what they wanted, but it doesn’t make any sense. It is the fourth watch of the night.  The Roman military divided the night into four watches, based on the need to provide rotating guards through the night. At three hours each, the fourth watch was from 3:00 am to 6:00 am. They had been at this since the afternoon. They were tired and confused.When you walk by faith, you will often go through these types of testings. Joseph, an example in point, could not have understood why he was sold into slavery by his brothers, then he was faithful to his God and Potiphar’s wife accused him of something he would not do. Then, he was thrown into prison and forgotten. Yet, at God’s timing He will always turn our sorrows into joy. It may not be in this life, but following the will of God is the only way to go. You cannot be pleasing unto God without it.

All they were told is to go ahead of him. They didn’t know what they were to be doing. They didn’t understand why they were going. They wondered why Jesus wasn’t going with them and how He would get to them and when. Why does God operate this way? He gives you the information you need for each day. Why? God wants to keep you and me totally dependant upon Him in prayer. God is most glorified and we are most satisfied when we are totally dependant upon Him in prayer. Moses, for example, was told to take the children of Israel out of Egypt. Many theologians believe it was 1 million people. God did not tell them how Moses was to feed all these people. He did not tell him how water would be provided for these people in the desert. He did not tell them where they would get clothes and shoes when they were worn out. He just said, “go and look to me.” We have numerous churches today who cannot comprehend this fact and therefore are not pleasing to God.

a) The boat of fear, (Matthew 14:26).
b) The boat of doubts, (Matthew 14:31).

Illustration: George Washington feeding the troops.

Robert Schuller, “Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People do.”Two year drought.