A couple years ago, I found myself in an unexpected place. After fifty years of passionately and vigorously serving in ministry, I suddenly felt stripped of all physical strength, which depleted me of emotional strength, too. I fought day after day, week after week, just to keep my head above water, all the while doing my best to counsel others through their trials.
Following months of worsening doctor’s reports, it became clear: I needed a miracle.
Have you found yourself there before? In a pit so deep, you knew only God could pull you out? In a storm so strong, you knew only God could rescue you?
Amid this storm, I was reminded: miracles are not a fairytale; they’re real. But the key to experiencing this power beyond explanation might differ from what most assume. Our miracle isn’t found in striving for God’s approval; it’s found in submitting to His love.
This truth is what I held onto. I became desperate to know, love, and serve God more deeply. As I did, He responded, offering me healing not only for my physical body but also for areas I didn’t even know I needed it!
In John 6:16-26, the disciples also found themselves in desperate need of a miracle. They’d just witnessed Jesus feeding 5,000 men plus women and children with only five loaves of bread and two fish. After dismissing the crowds, Jesus sent His friends across the Sea of Galilee while He lingered there to pray.
It’s important to note that rough storms were common on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was aware of this. So were the disciples. Still, Jesus sent them out on the sea, and they obeyed. This reality offers the first lesson from our story—that in life, storms are inevitable. It’s not if we’ll face one; it’s when we’ll face one. What matters most when that storm comes is how we respond in the middle of it.
John 16:19-20 tells how the disciples responded—in fear: “When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’”
So here’s the second insight from our story: our reaction to the storm reveals the maturity of our faith. When trouble confronts you, what takes over? Fear or faith? Here’s a clue: genuine faith doesn’t strive; it surrenders to the Holy Spirit.
Verse 21 tells us: “Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.” This gives the third reflection from our story: the solution in every storm is to allow Jesus into our boat because He knows the way, even when we don’t.
As T.L. Osborne said, “Miracles are the manifestation of the love of God.” Whatever storm you’re in today, friend, let God love you. Choose genuine faith and watch what He will do!
