Into The Night

Into the Night

“He saw the disciples straining at the oars and about the fourth

watch of the night, He went out to them, walking on the water.

                                                        Mark 6:48

Leaving Baltimore at 2:30 in the morning on Thursday to be back home for a high school graduation, I spent the next few hours sharing the roads with hundreds of truck drivers who make their living delivering the food and other goods we rely on to stores throughout the country. The night drive left me with a healthy appreciation of the job they do and with absolutely no desire to ever join them again at such a ridiculous hour. But it did remind me of a story in the Bible that occurred at just about the same time of the night.

The disciples had gone ahead of Jesus and ran into some rough conditions on the lake, rowing against the winds and making little progress. Though He was alone on the land, Jesus saw them struggling in the night to make headway. What a perfect picture of Jesus that story paints. He saw them struggling as He sees us in our struggles and difficulties. In the darkest hours of the night, Jesus had His eyes on his disciples making sure that the waves did not overwhelm them. Two thousand years later, Jesus still keeps His faithful eye on His people as they go through the storms of life. David wrote in Psalm 33:18 that “the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love.”

And it was into the night of their lives, the fourth watch of the night that began at 3:00 am, during the darkest hours, that Jesus walked on the water to come to their rescue. It is in those darkest times of our lives that we too can expect to see Jesus coming to us to help in our time of need. His words to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid,” still ring true today. In the storms of life, knowing that Jesus is always with us is to be our source of strength and courage to face life’s challenges and troubles with faith and determination.

But the story has an interesting twist, as if written by a modern mystery writer. The Bible records that Jesus, who came out to help them, was “about to pass them by.” That saying has always puzzled me. Why would Jesus pass by the very disciples who needed Him? Wiersbe explains it this way: “Jesus wanted them to recognize Him, trust Him, and invite Him into the ship.” So often we face our problems knowing that Jesus loves us but without ever inviting Him in to the difficult times we are going through. Finding peace in the midst of our storms may be as simple as taking our eyes off the waves and humbly inviting Jesus to come in. He calmed the winds that night and He will do the same for you and I if we invite Him in and trust Him afresh.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

For People

For People

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has

 anointed me to preach good news to the poor.”

                                                Isaiah 61:1

Some statements and quotes not only stick with us, but they open up a train of thought that leads to a fresh understanding of the heart of God. That happened to me recently when I read this quote from Lloyd Ogilvie, “The power of Pentecost is for people.” My first thought went to the verse above that Jesus quoted in the synagogue at Nazareth. Breaking it down brought out a common thread that runs though Isaiah’s prophecy:

·         “…to preach good news to the poor”
·         “…to bind up the brokenhearted”
·         “…to proclaim freedom to the captives”
·         “…to release from darkness the prisoners”
·         “…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”
·         “…to comfort all who mourn”
·         “…to provide for those who grieve”
·         “…to bestow beauty for ashes”
·         “…to give the oil of joy instead of mourning”
·         “…to give a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair”

What was so abundantly clear was that the heart of God beats with a passion, not for programs or buildings, but for people. God sends the anointing and gives wisdom to see people just like you and I, our family, friends and neighbors, comforted, delivered, healed, strengthened, and given hope and purpose. God sent His only Son into the world to die for people, to give men and women the hope of salvation and the promise of eternal life.

What we can expect in our own lives, as God molds us into the image of His Son, is that more and more our hearts will be re-focused from possessions to people; that we will be filled with a desire to see their burdens lifted and hurts healed, their needs met and fears released, and, most importantly, their salvation assured. “The power of Pentecost is for people” is just a reflection of a God of love, One who calls His people to love one another as He has loved us.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church