A Well-Timed Rescue
Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.
- Matthew 14:24–25
It has been said that when you get to the end of yourself, you get to the beginning of God. Many times when hardship comes, we have our own plans for how to handle it. We have plan A, B, C, D, and E. And after we have exhausted all of those, we find ourselves in that place where we say, "If God doesn't come through for me, it is over with. This is horrible." But actually, it is not horrible, because it is an opportunity for God to show His glory.
When the disciples found themselves battling a storm on the Sea of Galilee, the Bible tells us that "about three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water" (Matthew 14:25). This means the disciples had been at sea for nine hours when Jesus arrived on the scene. Why did He wait so long? We don't know. But maybe He was waiting for them to completely exhaust their resources.
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The lifeguard knows there is danger in saving a drowning person, because a drowning person will panic. More than one lifeguard has died after being pulled under by the very person they were trying to save.
A lot of times, God waits until we come to the end of ourselves. Jesus came to the disciples at the last moment, but when the time was just right. And not only that, He came walking on the water. Perhaps it was to show the disciples that the very things they feared-the wind and the waves-were only a means for Him to reach them.
The disciples may have lost sight of Jesus, but He never lost sight of them. And when you are in the midst of your storm, He never will lose sight of you.
