July 19

Christ Walking on the Sea

but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost— — Mark 6:49 BSB

It seems strange to us that the disciples would ever be afraid of their own Master. They had spent the whole night in distress because He wasn’t with them. The one thing they desired most in those long, dark hours was for Him to come to them. Yet when He finally did come, they were terrified at the sight of Him. The reason they were so afraid was that they didn’t recognize Him.

This is often the case with us. We are in some need or danger, and we long for Jesus to come to our aid. We call on Him and sincerely desire His presence, but He doesn’t come in the way we expect. Finally, He does come, but it’s not in the gentle and comforting way we imagined. Instead, He comes through a great trial. Death enters our home and takes away a loved one. We experience a loss or misfortune that we see as devastating. In our fear, we cry out. We don’t recognize that it’s Christ coming to us, veiled in the darkness. We don’t realize that this is His response to our prayers for His presence and help. We are frightened by what we think is a new danger, when in reality, it’s His divine love and assistance that we’ve been longing and praying for.

We need to learn to see Jesus in every situation that comes our way. He doesn’t come only in the sunshine; just as often, He comes in the shadows. As Christians, it’s our duty to train ourselves to see Christ in every circumstance. Then, whether it’s sorrow or joy that comes knocking at our door, we will welcome it with love, knowing that it’s Jesus Himself, veiled in whatever form it takes. When we receive Him in the somber garments of pain, we will always find that He brings a rich blessing with Him.