When we are going over, we can’t go under

Jesus told the disciples to go ahead of him to the other side of the lake. He did not say to them, ‘Now go to the middle of the lake and sink.’ The point is, Jesus had given them an instruction and this was what he expected them to do. And implicit in the instruction was a promise. If he told them to do it, he would also enable them to do it.

We need to believe that God has called us for just that kind of purpose, too. He wants us to go over to the other side. Ultimately, of course, to heaven. But in the meantime there are many smaller destinations — like the end of a study course, or the end of your career, or the raising of your children, or the fulfilling of a ministry opportunity. But whatever God calls us to do, whether it is a six-month commission or a sixty-year commission, it doesn’t matter. We can do it. When we are going over, we can’t go under.

If he calls us to go over, he doesn’t intend us to go under. Whatever God calls us to do, he will see us through. Because he is a faithful God, he will not let us down.

When a storm came and buffeted the boat, the disciples were a long way from the shore. The Greek text says it was ‘many stadia’. A stadion was around six hundred feet. So they were a fair way in.

The thing is, if we are going to serve Jesus, we should not be surprised if there are problems, difficulties and challenges.

Here are a couple of wonderful Bible promises. First, Philippians 1:29 — ‘For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.’ A rare privilege has been granted to us — the privilege of suffering.

Here is another one: 2 Timothy 3:12 — ‘All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will…’ What? ‘Be persecuted.’

Doesn’t that make your heart sing? No. We would prefer it to say, ‘Everyone who lives a godly life in Christ Jesus will be rewarded.’ That is also true. But in the meantime, there will always be hardship.

There are many other similar passages. Jesus said, ‘In the world you will have trouble’ (John 16:33). Sometimes it will seem to be more than we can bear. Like the disciples we may fear even for our lives and our hearts will cry out in despair. The truth is that whether we have trouble or whether we don’t, when we are going over, we can’t go under.

What next?

Jackie is a new Christian who has run into trouble. She thought everything was going to be fantastic now she is following Jesus, but things have started to go wrong—her car has broken down; she has fallen sick with a virus; her job is in jeopardy; and two of her friends are mocking her new-found faith. How would you use this story to encourage her?