Spend Time With God

they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water;

John 6:19b

We have been examining the miracles of Jesus in the book of John, and yesterday we concluded our discussion on the feeding of the five thousand, where we saw that Jesus wants us to remain calm at the sound of His Word. Today, we will examine the next sign, which is Jesus walking on water.

Many times, we watch movies featuring superheroes who fly, run fast, are very strong, and so on. We enjoy watching these incredible feats, even though they are fictional. But in this passage, we see Jesus walking on water, and we may wonder, is this fiction? Why did He perform this miracle? How does this bring glory to God?

As we have previously concluded, every miracle Jesus performed is a sign and revelation of Himself. There is something more He is trying to reveal to us beyond what we might see happening at that moment. Jesus is doing many things at once.

After feeding the five thousand, the people were so amazed that they wanted to make Jesus their King, so He withdrew to a mountain by Himself. He had sent His disciples ahead in a boat, and while Jesus spent personal time with God, it seemed as though the disciples were already far ahead. In Matthew’s account, we see that Jesus approached them near dawn, after they had been on the water since evening, giving them about 9-11 hours ahead of Him. That is a significant distance to cover.

Similarly, some of us may think that spending time devoted to God will hold us back from where we should be in life. If you are reading this and the reason you are not drawing closer to God is that you believe it will take time away from other important tasks, consider this: Jesus shows us a better way. A person who spends time with God is never left behind; instead, they are investing in their future by spending time with God today. It may seem as if others are ahead now, but when God begins to reveal His plans, it will be like a dream.

Here, Jesus is showing us the possibilities for those who stay with God and wait upon Him. As stated in Isaiah 40:31, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. This is the testimony of waiting upon God: even when it seems like time is passing and everyone is moving ahead, you can never be disadvantaged by walking with God and staying close to Him.

PRAYER

Father, I repent of all my excuses for running away from Your presence. I am sorry for focusing all my attention on the things of this world when You have been calling out to me. Lord, help me to wait upon You, to seek You, and to dwell in Your presence. Thank You for helping me understand that I can never waste any time spent with You.