FROM THE DAWGHOUSE…
WHAT DID I MISS HERE?
Reading through Mark 6:47-52 I realized how like the Disciples I am:
Mark 6:47-52 NASB
“When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 Seeing them straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the fourth watch of the night, He *came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and *said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” 51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”
Courage is our FORGE focus word for the year. The Father is about building men of faith and trust, which means we can have courage as we live a normal life and even as we face abnormal or really stressful situation; aka in a boat in an angry storm in the middle of the night. Or something like that, like losing your job or realizing your wife is really ticked at you and you don’t know how to fix it, or your child is way over his or her head into a bad relationship.
So how does God build trust in us and make us men of courage? By flexing His muscles to show us how He really is in control, large and in charge. God still does miracles but a lot of time we miss them or forget them. Sometimes I’m worried about something and I pray and deliberately ask God to oversee and work in a particular situation and that situation works out really well.
And I don’t realize it. I don’t even see it.
Until later. And then I sometimes I have an attack of realization and say, “Wait a minute! That was an answer to prayer! Ya, it really was, God came through! Thank you God!”
I wonder if taking some evaluation time every day might be a good idea, just a few minutes, to reflect and see what God did that was, well, His doing!
The Disciples here had missed the Big Lesson from the Feeding of the 5, 000 Men not to mention the women and kids (that’s what we ought to call that account!). Big lesson there? God is in charge. God is powerful. God can multiply minimal resources into maximal resources. Nothing is too powerful for Him. Every opportunity is an opportunity for Omnipotence to show up.
I wonder if taking some evaluation time every day might be a good idea, just a few minutes, to reflect and see what God did that was, well, His doing? And then, remember it well, so that when we face the next big deal, we can relax and know that He will flex His muscles for us again, in His time and way?
Couldn’t hurt!
“God open my eyes and help me to see the big and small acts of Grace that fall from Your Hand to mine! Thank you!”
You take it to heart!
Pete Alwinson
