“And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. (Matt. 14:25) In the Jewish culture during the days of Jesus, they divided nighttime into four sections. Each section consisted of three hours. The fourth watch of the night was the last section of time and took place between three and six o’clock in the morning. That time segment is also known as the darkest three hours before dawn.
The evening before our story takes place, Jesus instructed the disciples to get in the boat and travel to the other side of the sea. As fishermen, they would not have thought anything about this mode of travel and would have felt very comfortable with it. After all, most of these men had made their living with the rough chores of the fishing industry before they left it all to follow this carpenter from Galilee. However, a surprise was about to happen.
In spite of their talent and understanding of handling fishing boats and rough seas, they were caught in a storm they were unable to manage. All night long they labored with their best efforts, but those efforts failed to get them to the other side. They were caught in a great storm they could not escape. All efforts were a hopeless attempt to succeed.
Life has a way of placing us in storms. Most of us grew up being taught the virtue of self-reliance. However, at times we face trials that no amount of training or insight could prepare us for. Like the disciples, when those types of valleys enter our life, we are pressed beyond our own strength and beyond our abilities. Like the disciples, we are paddling our boat as hard as we can but are still unable to move forward. The waves of doubt and worry come crashing over the side rails of our life and there is no way out. That is, unless the Lord hears our cry and comes to our rescue!
Do you feel your life is in the middle of the boat, and in the middle of the sea, and in the middle of a storm? Are you attempting to row your way out of it with all the strength and effort you can muster, but no progress is made? The Lord has not abandoned you! The all-night battles we face in life prepare us to recognize the Lord when He comes walking across the water. Through desperate storms our eyes gaze beyond the horizon of our talents and abilities, and into the sufficiency of Christ. You may feel you are in your final hours of enduring pain and agony, but take heart, at the best moment and for the greater good, the Lord will rescue you. His clock doesn’t work on our schedule; however, He sees our need and will arrive at the perfect time, even if it is the…fourth watch of the night
