While reading Mark 6:45-52, I found that verse 52 was the key verse in this passage. Of course there is much to learn from this passage, but this verse stood out amongst them all to me.
After experiencing the power of Christ when He multiplied the loaves of bread and the filets of fish and fed over 5,000 people, the disciples were afraid when the storm rose in the middle of the lake. Jesus seeing their struggle, came to them on the water, told them plainly “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then, He got into the boat, the storm calmed and so did the disciples!
Imagine their faces when they looked at Jesus, their Savior, with total amazement. Two things we can learn from their reaction: first, positively, whenever we have an experience with the power of God, there is never a dull response, “I knew that would happen.” No, each and every time there is total amazement at what God can and will do in our lives. Life with Jesus is always an adventure. However secondly and negatively, the reason the disciples were amazed is because their hearts were hard, “…for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.” (Mark 6:52) Amazement does not always mean faith, sometimes it means disbelief. This is how I have come to this conclusion pertaining to the disciple’s reaction.
The prior miracle left them in an isolated amazement. They did not allow it to grow their faith, prepare them for new adventures; they believed God's miracles with segregation, instead of an all inclusive spiritual heart. They in turn missed the greatest opportunity to walk into new adventures with great confidence and the faith to conquer all in the power of God; they retreated in fear and isolated their experiences to nothing more than a mishap that must have a logical explanation.
How many times do we face trials and difficulties and see God answer our prayers, only to face the next one in despair and foreboding. Do we believe that Jesus is God or do we really believe that answers to our prayers can be explained by logical reasoning’s? Whenever trials and difficulties come our way, and we have experienced the power of God before, let us not follow this current example of the disciples, let us face them with POWER AND CONFIDENCE, “ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power…” (1Timothy 1:7)
Even if we lose all, we must remember that our life is not a culmination of the things of this world, our life consists of the things above. When we start explaining logically the power of God in our lives, we rob Him of His glory; we demean Him to a “genie in the sky.” What blasphemy! He is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit! He is the One True God that deserves ALL our praise, honor, and glory! Everything in our life must be held up to him!
I humbly stand before my Father in repentance for being just like his unbelieving disciples. Just last night, I began to explain away logically a recent miracle in my life. An inaudible impression of my God clearly spoke to me, “It is I that has made this miracle, do not give My glory to another!” Wow, immediately I was stricken with regret, and I was grateful for His intervention. Would it not be wonderful to hear God say about each of us when we face burdens, stress, anxiety, and hardship with the opposite of what was said about the disciples, “…for they had gained insight from the incident of the (fill in your miracle); their hearts were strengthened.” Amen?!
