STRAINING AT THE OARS
Other than a paper route, my first job was digging postholes on a ranch. After day one, every muscle in my anatomy ached, and despite wearing gloves, my palms sported blisters on top of blisters.
I wonder if that’s how Christ’s disciples felt? After Jesus supernaturally fed 5000 people, they headed home across the Sea of Galilee. The gospel of Mark reports that in the midst of their voyage, his followers encountered rough waters, and were “straining at the oars”—all night long. The text states, that “shortly before dawn” they saw Jesus walking on the water, and terrified, thought he was a ghost. Makes sense. What would most folks think, seeing a being wearing a sheet, floating on a lake in a storm?
Jesus could have come to them much earlier. But he allowed them to struggle and strain all throughout the night, battling the wind and waves, before finally coming to their aid. Then to add to their difficulty, the text states, “he was about to pass them by.” Jesus would have walked right past them, allowing his friends to continue struggling, except “they cried out.” Then he stopped, calmed his followers’ anxious hearts with his voice, and rescued them. (Mark 6:45-51).
How often is this story repeated in our lives? Like the apostles, we strain and struggle in a painful situation. Rather than immediately stepping in and rescuing us, the Lord allows us to struggle in the darkness until “just before dawn” and he finally delivers us from our adversity. We’ve all experienced it. How often is he about to “pass us by”, waiting for us to cry out before calming our stormy hearts and comforting us. Eventually, we find ourselves on the other side of our storm, exhausted, but stronger as a result of our struggles. Perhaps the Lord allows us to “strain at the oars,” because deep spiritual growth occurs in the midst of difficulties. We learn trust, patience, endurance, and humility as we agonize through painful situations. Some lessons can only be learned in hardship.
If you’re in the midst of a difficult situation, and the Lord is taking his time to come to you, it’s not because he’s unaware or doesn’t care. He sees you “straining at the oars,” and he’s on his way. It can be agonizing, but trust him, and wait for him to come shortly before dawn.
Principle: Rather than immediately rescuing us, sometimes God allows us to struggle to experience spiritual growth.
Ponder:
Like the disciples, when have you faced a difficult situation in which the Lord allowed you to struggle?
Specifically, how did this adversity furnish you with spiritual growth?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Mark 6:45-56.
Lord Jesus, just as you allowed the disciples to strain at the oars before delivering them, I know you work the same way in my life. Give me the power to wait on you and trust you in the midst of rough waters.
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