Editors note: This devotional is taken from the archives of Gospel of Mark, chapter 6.

“After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. ” (Mark 6:46-48a, NIV)

Observation:
I asked myself what we learn about Jesus.

1. After leaving the disciples, Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray.

2. When evening came, Jesus was alone on land.

3. Jesus saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them.

4. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

Interpretation:

I asked myself what is significant about finding out that Jesus saw the disciples straining at the oars because the wind was against them.

Jesus had dismissed the crowd of 5000+ and went up on a mountainside to pray. By now, evening had come and the disciples’ boat was in the middle of the lake but Jesus was still on land. However, Jesus saw what the disciples were going through in the middle of the lake. He was attentive to their surroundings even though He was not with them in person. As they were struggling against the wind, Jesus did not leave them alone but did a profound thing. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

I asked myself the significance of mentioning ‘fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them’.

When Jesus saw they were in trouble, Jesus did not immediately rescue them nor did He let them be overtaken by the winds. Instead, in His perfect timing, after He saw what was happening, Jesus goes out to them. Jesus had His perfect timing and followed it. It means so much to me to know that Jesus went out to them.

Implications:

I saw important implications for my own life. Jesus sees what I am going through. Jesus knows when I am in trouble and face trouble. Jesus can intervene right away if He chooses but there are times, He waits. Jesus waits not because He does not love me or he wants me to suffer but because He knows the perfect timing to come and rescue me.

As I look back in the years of my life, there have been turbulent months. It had felt like I had been rowing on stormy seas and was about to drown. Jesus saw what I was going through and intervened in His perfect timing. At a crucial junction during that month, I saw Jesus in a dream going up the mountainside and was so ecstatic. When I woke up, that dream sustained me to go on and focus on prayer and His Word! Jesus’ words from Scripture, “Do not be afraid, just believe” kept resonating in me and still do.

You know when the waves are rolling high and there is panic and confusion, it can be easy to be succumbed by it but Jesus was not going to let that happen in my life. I am so thankful to the Lord and glad what I have gone through in  because of the lessons Jesus has taught me and for His constant reminder that I need to solely depend on Him and He has the answers to my life. I am so overwhelmed with gratitude to Jesus for bringing me through and continuing to work in my life. More than anything, I am so grateful for experiencing what I have experienced so I can be better equipped to help others who maybe experiencing what I had gone through! Praise the Lord!

It is a brand new month and a brand new day! I will wait on the Lord in prayer and His Word to reveal His will to me for I know my Redeemer lives and will take care of me. He will take care of you too.

I ask you now dear friend, what trouble are you facing?

Dear friend, whatever trouble you are facing, you are not alone. Yes, friend you are not alone. Jesus who went out to pray on the mountainside and the one who appeared to me in the dream is the same Jesus who saw His disciples in trouble and went out to them in His perfect timing. Jesus will do the same for you. Jesus will come to you and help you in His perfect timing. Do not give up friend! Life is full of troubles and they can be like the wind beating against us and even making us feel like we are going to drown but we will not because Jesus is there. Yes, He is friend!

Even when we do not get what we want and feel troubled, He will give us what we need! Jesus will cover us in His love and direct our paths. He will give us strength to bear through what we go. He will equip us and what we face is nothing compared to the glory, He will give us later.

If God be for us, who can be against us, He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how much more will He do for us. (Romans 8:31-32, TLB)

Jesus is Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our Banner! You can rally to Jesus. Jesus loves you and sees you in your pain and trouble. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Yes, bring it all to Jesus. Rest in Him and He will carry you. The disciples could not reach Jesus in their troubles but Jesus reached out to them. Jesus knew what they were going through. Jesus knows what you are going through and will help you.

Whether you are facing a crisis in a career, academia, relationships, etc, Jesus will carry you. If you are wondering why these three are mentioned the most, it is because most troubles fall under those situations especially they fall under relationships but there are other areas of trouble too that the Lord can carry you through.  Depend on Him and turn to Him. Let Him take care of you. You do not have to go it alone. Come as you are and find rest for all your trouble.

Am I saying, with Jesus you will not face trouble?

No friend, not at all! That is not what I am saying because even the disciples faced trouble on the lake but Jesus was not far away to help them through it. Whatever you face, Jesus will help you through it. The key is ‘THROUGH IT’. At other times, you will see a direct rescue. Jesus decides when that should happen or if the trouble should be allowed for reasons we cannot know at the time.

I know for I can speak from experience. I had gone through a lot in the past  but Jesus used those troubles I believe to change the direction path of my life. If I did not face troubles, I do not know where I would have been. Because of what I went through, I did not want anyone else to go through it so I went into the ministry to reach out to students with the love of Christ as I majored in Psychology before becoming a campus minister. Jesus has given me opportunities to minister in areas that I have never experienced but through His help, I have seen lives being impacted. I have written counseling poems on some of the deepest issues that students face or may have faced and have seen those poems change people’s lives around through God’s grace. I hope they will change your life too!

Though, I am not doing full-time campus ministry as a job, the Lord has given me a wonderful full-time job that I love! It is filled with benefits, extensive vacation, sick leave, etc where I also have ample opportunities to continue to do ministry. My job is like tent-making to me. Anytime, I pondered about moving on, I have seen things happen that made me stay and continue to do ministry whether it is meeting one-one with students and praying with them, taking them through a study, presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them, answering their tough questions for them, etc, Jesus has used me in my own trouble to help others. He will do that for you too. Jesus helped me through and will help you too!

You and I can take comfort in the words of Jesus:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)

Jesus has overcome the world and promises to help us. There will be times you will see a direct rescue and other times he will help you through it and comfort you through it.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." (2 Corinthians 1:3-5, NIV)

“O God, listen to me! Hear my prayer! For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety. For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me.”(Psalm 61:1-3, TLB)

Friend, Jesus will be your Rock of safety and mine. He will carry you! Do not fret or worry for it only leads to harm. Even through the trouble, our Lord can give us bright moments. My favorite has been to have the privilege of serving 100 ‘Pennsylvania Governor’s School of International Studies’ students and use opportunities to present Jesus to them whether through words or actions. All of them have seen me read the Bible this summer. My hope and prayer is that it peaks their own interest to look into the Word of God and that they would claim the promises of Scripture.

Today one of the students asked me what I was reading. When I told her the Gospel of Mark, she asked me what it talks about. I told her about Jesus walking on water and calming the storms. She told me that was her favorite story and I told her it was mine too!

May this counseling poem with a problem-solution make you think about what you are facing and through it all, what Jesus Christ can do for you!

Overcoming Life’s Obstacles
By Ramesh C. Reddy

Your life seems to be going nowhere?
No one seems to care?
Life is not fair?

Tears roll down your cheek?
You feel so weak?
No where to hide or sneak?
Life is taking you on the wrong peak?

Your life is on hold.
That's what Satan's lie told.
Truth is into sin's slavery, you are sold.
Nothing can make you happy, even gold.
You feel so cold?
Scared to face the world?
Please be strong and bold.

For the Lord your God is with you. (Isaiah 41:10)
Delivering you from Satan's grasp, He will do. (John 10:29)

You were purchased by His Precious Blood (Matt 26:28)
So, you can be rescued from sin's flood. (Romans 3:24-25)

Jesus will let you do, your best each minute, (Phil 4:13)
Helping you in each of life's situations to win it. (Psa 32:8)
His love and promises are infinite. (Matt 26:28)

His mercies and blessings are new each sec, min, hour.  (Lam 3:23-24)
Depending on Him and His Word, you can gain spiritual power
He has your best interests in mind. (Psa 34:8 & James 1:21)
This you have to yourself, each day remind. (2 Tim 3:16-17)
Amen!

May you be reminded of the Lord’s love for you, for you will get through! Yes, you will friend!

"Troubled? Rest Often Under Beautiful Lord’s Emancipation! (T.R.O.U.B.L.E)/”What trouble are you facing?”

Listen to the background song 'He will carry you'

PRAYER:
Father God thank you, you love us so much that you sent your only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. I love you Lord. Thank you Father God for your Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus thank you for loving me so much. Thank you Jesus, you will take care of my problems. Nothing is too hard for you. For many of us Lord, we face many obstacles in life whether it be Spiritual, financial, marital, emotional, physical, or educational problems. We turn these problems and the prayer requests to you. Thank you Lord you never fail to answer our prayers. Just because we don't understand does not mean you didn't answer our prayers. Thanks Lord for cleansing us by your precious Blood. Please come into my heart Jesus. Please forgive my sins. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart. Thank you Jesus for making my heart, your home. Thank you Jesus for living in me. I will live for you Jesus and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I pray right now for the one who is so troubled that only your presence and love can meet them where they are at. Come Lord Jesus and please intervene in their life. Cover them with your awesome presence and help them through what they are going. Thank you Jesus as you saw the disciples in trouble and came to their rescue, you can come to our rescue too. We entrust our lives in your care. Thank you for the answer and you will carry us! IN YOUR NAME, I PRAY JESUS THANKING YOU FOR EVERYTHING. AMEN.

Friend you may feel something or may not feeling anything but do not go by your feelings. When you ask Jesus to come into your life, He will and does. He will take over from here as you depend on the Lord and let Him work in you and through you! This is exciting friend! May each one that came to know Jesus be filled with His Holy Spirit forever more and those that know Jesus come to know Him more and more! Amen!

Get yourself involved in a campus Bible study, fellowship, and most of all find a Bible believing church and be involved to grow in your Christian walk with the Lord. They all need to be supplements for your own precious time with the Lord in prayer and meditating on His Word. If you need a Bible, please let me know!

As the movie DaVinci Code opened across the theaters on May 19, 2006, which speaks against the church and most importantly degrades the Name of Jesus Christ, we need to make ourselves available to speak the truth to the falsity presented in the movie and the novel. If you plan to watch the movie or have read the book and have questions or your faith seems to be shaken, please email me or give me a call at 412-720-4579 so we can discuss the false claims in the book that are presented as fact even though the book itself and the movie is presented as fiction. May the Lord bless you and guide you!

If you need anyone to talk to, pray with, or study the Bible with this  Summer of 2006, you can email me at reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com or call me at 412-720-4579. Please do not hesitate. One-one Bible studies can be so powerful too because the Holy Spirit is still in the midst.

"This is my work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)

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