“And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. ”

When Jesus commanded the disciples to cross the sea that night, I’m sure they thought, No big deal. For most of them, the sea was their home away from home, not to mention their workplace. How many times had they traveled back and forth across that same stretch of water? But this time was different. Not because there was a storm. They had faced those before in their many years as fishermen. No, it wasn’t the storm itself that caused such turmoil. It was that Jesus had sent them out, knowing full well the storm would come.

When we look at the story of Jonah and the storm he faced, we get it. He was running from God, so God sent the storm to knock some sense into the wayward prophet. But the disciples were following orders. They weren’t running; they were rowing. They weren’t heading in the opposite direction; they were going exactly where Jesus told them to go. They weren’t doing their own thing or following their own design; they were doing all the right things in all the right ways. Yet the storm still hit.

And this was no passing storm either. It lasted the entire night. By the time Jesus finally walked onto the scene, it was between three and six o’clock in the morning, and the disciples were still less than four miles across the ten-mile expanse. Can you imagine the fatigue? The fear? The frustration? Rowing and bailing water for hour after hour and getting nowhere. I imagine, now and then, they made a little progress and heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, we’re getting through. Finally, we’re nearing our destination. Finally, all our efforts are paying off. But then, with the next string of waves and the flurry of wind, their craft was pushed back upon the sea, erasing any sign of forward momentum.

Maybe you can relate. Like the disciples, you’re doing your best to obey God and to serve Him with your whole heart, but you’re stuck in the midst of a storm. You’re weary of rowing. You’ve tried everything to keep moving forward, but the winds of confusion and waves of frustration keep pushing you back. You’ve struggled for hours, days, weeks, months, or even years, yet here you are, stuck in the very same storm. Getting nowhere fast. You’ve done the work, but it hasn’t paid off. You’ve followed the steps but have yet to see the payday. You’ve put in the time, but it seems to be in vain. You’ve sown but haven’t reaped.

And you’re tired. So very tired. Tired of facing the same giants. Tired of fighting the same battles. Tired of trying. Tired of resisting the urge to give up. Tired of doing all the right things and being rewarded with a storm. But like the disciples, you haven’t given up. You haven’t turned back. You’re still pressing forward. Struggling to gain ground, yes, but still making an effort.

Why? Why haven’t you given up? Why didn’t they? Why didn’t they use the contrary winds to push them back to the shore from whence they came? Why don’t you? Because deep down, beneath the frustration and fatigue, there’s a promise to which you are clinging: Jesus knows, and Jesus cares. The disciples believed that too, and they were right. Jesus saw them in the midst of the storm. He knew they were afraid. So, He did the best thing He could do. He prayed. He prayed for their protection. He prayed, no doubt, they would be secure in their faith. He didn’t mutter a few words of “Help Peter and Andrew not to be afraid,” but He poured out His heart to the Father on behalf of those He loved.

And then, in the fourth watch of the night, after they had toiled so very long, He reminded His disciples who ruled the winds and waves. He came to them. He met them in their storm, and He carried them through it. And He will do the same for you. You know it. You believe it. Otherwise, you would have given up by now. But you’re clinging to that grain of truth that gets harder to see with every passing wave. Don’t lose hope. Jesus knows, and He cares. He is interceding for you right now. He is with you, and when the time is right, He will bring an end to your storm, just as He did with the disciples. Keep rowing. Keep bailing. But above all, keep believing!

“The revelation of divine truth does not often come to us when life is comfortable. The revelation which is existentially real to our hearts does not come when everything is going right, when our refrigerators are full and our bank accounts have extra and everybody is treating us the way we want to be treated and everything is explainable, and we’re happy as clams. It doesn’t come then. The revelation of divine truth comes when we struggle and in our struggle we believe. ”

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[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTxMMVfztj8&w=854&h=480]