Friday, February 08, 2013

Immediately...

This verse was saved as a draft a while back and I remember thinking it was important.  I will read it again and share with you how it speaks to me now, several months after the last impression.

Matthew 14 

Check out the three "immediatelies" in Matthew 14 and the story of Jesus walking on the water.  The first one comes right after Jesus feeds the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish.  (v. 22)  "Immediately" he makes the disciples get in the boat and go to the other side of the lake while he dismisses the crowd.  I wonder if they wanted to stick around.  Maybe to help clean up?  Or to protect Jesus?  Or to see how he'd send the people away after such a great miracle?  Would the people go?  Did he need help?  (yeah...  um... 5 loaves and 2 fish...)  If I was at a conference as a leader, I know I'd be hesitent to leave immediately after supper...  There's still stuff to do, right?  But it appears that they obey and get in the boat and go.

The second "immediately" happens a little bit later.  (v. 27)  Jesus has dismissed everyone and has had some good alone time that evening praying on the mountain when there's a storm, or at least a great wind, and the disciples out on the lake are being tossed around.  Now it's the fourth watch of the night.  That means it's the last "watch" in the night which falls around 3-6AM.  I don't know about you but after spending many nights up with our babies, I can tell you that those hours are the longest, most exhausting hours to be up!  The disciples look out across the lake are "terrified" because they think they see a ghost.  It's Jesus.  And guess what he does?  "Immediately" he says to them, as they are crying out in fear, "Take courage.  It is I.  Don't be afraid."  He comforts them. 

Alright.  This is the one that kinda got me to think.  Immediately.  They are out on the boat.  Jesus sent them out alone.  He's not there.  The waves come.  They are afraid.  Terrified.  Where on earth is JESUS?  He should be here now.  When, immediately, there he is.  But they wanted him there just a few minutes earlier, right?  Like, before the waves got huge.  Before they were tossed around.  Before they were terrified.  That's when they wanted to have Jesus with them.  But when was he there?  Immediately.  Right when they needed him.  There he was.  He knew when the time was right to be there.  And when he shows up, what do they do?  Cry out in FEAR!  Heh.  So like us.  They doubt if it's him.  "Is it you?"  He already said it was.  So of course Peter asks to come walk out on the water with him.  (Love his courage.)  Yup, there he goes...  walking on water, too.  What does he do half way out?  Looks around and starts to sink.  Peter.  He's afraid again and cries out, "Lord, save me!"

Here's our third "immediately"...  (v. 31)  "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him."  The he says to Peter, "You of little faith...  Why did you doubt?"  Hold up.  The guy just walked out on the WATER.  To Jesus.  Give him a little credit, right?  Heh.  But he did look around and sink, too.  Big faith.  Big doubt.  Isn't that just like us, too...  Uff. 

I can be all 100% full of faith.  Ready to do anything for the Lord.  "Use me!"  "I'm ready!"  "Yes, Lord!"  For me, "Send the orphans to us!"  And then I have to wait.  And I don't see Jesus working out the big stuff I thought we were going to do together.  Where is he?  Or I start going and then things come into the picture that weren't part of the plan.  They seem too big to overcome and I wonder if this will really work?  Has he still got me?  Is this still the thing?  But just then (and not before) he shows up.  Immediately.  If he had shown up earlier, I would have just thought, "oh good...  clear sailing!"  instead of "Wow...  only God could do that!"

As soon as Peter and Jesus get in the boat the wind dies down and the other disciples worship Jesus and say, "Truly you are the Son of God!"

Sometimes what we go through, or the times we just wait and stay faithful to Jesus, are all part of the set up for us and others to observe.  Then when he comes, in his own "immediately" timing, we see and worship and know that He is God.  I'm looking forward to seeing him show up in the middle of our faith.  'Cause when he does, it's gonna be big.  And we are going to worship.  Immediately. 


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