I really love God's Word. It's always on time. In reading Mark 6 this morning about the miracle of the multiplication of the bread and fish to feed 5000, I am reminded that the miracle itself really wasn't the end goal in mind. The end goal was trusting God in the dark place before the miracle. Just after the miracle of the bread and fish, these same disciples faced another dark place - Jesus sent his disciples into a boat to cross to the other side, with a lesson to learn. NOTE: JESUS SENT THEM THERE. As they went, they faced dangerously high winds on the lake. They were troubled and fearful because the wind was against them and in all their furious rowing, they were tirelessly going NO where fast. Then they saw Jesus walking on the sea towards them. But instead of recognising him for who He is, they shrieked with terror thinking he was a ghost. Jesus called to them, "Take heart, I AM! Stop being alarmed and afraid!" When Jesus got into the boat with them the wind ceased.
The Word says the disciples were exceedingly astonished at this 2nd miracle in a row, BECAUSE they failed to consider or understand the teaching and meaning of the miracle of the bread. IN FACT, their hearts had grown callous and had become dull and they had lost the power of understanding.
In all our dark places and in all our circumstances that beg for God to act, the end is not the miracle. The end is not the healing. The end is not the check in the mail or the sudden turn of a prodigal. The end is what we unlearn about I AM in the dark places. God is always aware of our circumstances.
Mark 6 says JESUS sent the disciples ahead of Him into the boat and He could see their troubled situation from the hills and the land he was praying on. When He saw they were troubled, He came to them but AS THOUGH HE WAS GOING TO PASS THEM BY. How many times have I knew that I knew that God could see my clouded circumstances but it seemed as though He was just going to pass me by without a look? Jesus said in Mark 6:52 that the reason for my fear in those places is because my heart has a tendency to grow calloused and I lose my power of understanding. I forget the prior miracles of the multiplication of the bread--All the times He has miraculously fed me.
I love Oswald Chambers' insight into this passage:
"What we call the process, God calls the end....God is not working toward a particular finish; His end is the process--that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right, because I see Him walking on the sea. It is the PROCESS not the end, that is glorifying to God....unless we can look the darkest, blackest fact, full in the face without damaging God's character, we do not yet know Him....God's end is to enable me to see that He can walk on the chaos of my life right now."
Seeing is not believing. Just because I see something doesn't mean I have faith. I saw a contrast in John 2 today that I hadn't noticed before. When Jesus drove the money changers out of the house of God the religious Jews asked Jesus, "What sign, miracle, token, indication can you give us as EVIDENCE, that YOU have authority and are commissioned to act in this way?" Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and in 3 days I will raise it up again!" (Speaking of his own body). It wasn't until Jesus was crucified and then resurrected on the 3rd day, that his disciples remembered what he had told the Jews and THEN "they believed and trusted and relied on the Scripture and the Word (message) Jesus had spoken! Now that they "saw" they "believed". But is that faith? Right after this, during the Passover Feast (perfectly set stage I might add!) MANY BELIEVED in His name (identified themselves with His party), AFTER seeing his signs (wonders, miracles) which He was doing. BUT JESUS (for his part) did not trust himself to them because He knew all men; and He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man (needed no evidence from anyone about men) for He Himself knew what was in human nature (He could read men's hearts) (see 1 Sam 16:7). So what is the point? As I slowed down and really prayerfully looked at this passage again, I see that signs and wonders and miracles are amazing and awesome BUT they should not be why I believe. I should believe just because HE SAID IT. Even the blind can see! Crosby, that dear saint of the last century who wrote "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" was blind from her earliest babyhood as a result of an accident. When she was only eight years old she wrote this little rhyme,
Oh, what a happy child I am,
Although I can not see.
I am resolved that in this world,
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh
Because I'm blind,
I cannot and I won't!
She lived to be over 90, and that beautiful, rejoicing spirit characterized her all her days.
Today it's my intention to believe what I cannot see. To trust what is promised but not yet visible. To love and obey and believe without any sign at all. Love Never Fails, Leeanna