The Life of Christ

• This time the trial would be more difficult, designed to test the new level of faith produced by the previous experience.

They are “in the middle of the sea.”

• More things seem to go wrong when we are in the “midst of something,” that moment when we have reached the point of no return.

• When we’re in the middle of something, it’s now too late to turn back or just give up.

• We remember that it was in the midst of the six hours on the cross that darkness fell upon the earth (Mt. 27:45). “ Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land” (Mt. 27:45). That’ s 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm.

• It was in the midst of bringing the ark up to Jerusalem that God slew Uzzah as he tried to steady the ark (2 Sam. 6:6).

Mk. 6:48 And 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. The fact that He saw them straining at the oars during the night, three to four miles out to sea in the middle of the night (Jn. 6:19), indicates “the word of knowledge” rather than telescopic vision or high-intensity, infrared night vision.

• The fourth watch of the night meant it was between 3-6 a.m.

• The reason for their straining at the oars was to keep the boat headed straight toward the shore, as the wind was pushing them off their course.

His initial intention to pass them by shows how He often views us during our moments of struggle.

• Rather than delivering us from every trial, He often allows us to endure the struggle, while we still stay under His watchful distant eye.

• However, should that trial begin to overwhelm us, the Lord may then decide to alter His course and come to our rescue.

The following story comes from Eagle Saints Arise by Bill Britton:

• When a baby eaglet prepares to leave its nest and learn to fly, a dramatic moment takes place. The mother eagle begins to “flutter over her young.” In other words, she begins beating her young with her wings. The wings under which the chick once hid from all danger now have become its own adversary, it seems. What a terrible turn of events! To escape those terrible wings, the chick climbs to the side of the nest, and as the mother eagle spreads her wings abroad, the chick hops upon her back. Where mother now goes now, chick will also go (Deut. 32:11).

• As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings (Deut. 32:11).

• The nest has ceased to be the safe, warm home it once was. The mother eagle now soars high into the sky, with the little eagle hanging on for dear life. High above the clouds she goes, and suddenly, without warning, she dives out from under the little eagle, leaving it hanging on to nothing. The chick screams with fear as it tumbles to catch the air. Down, down, down it falls as untried wings fail to function enough to hold itself up. When it looks like all hope is lost, and chick is about to crash on the rocks below, the mother eagle swoops under and bears it up on her wings. Glory to God, what a relief! Back into the heights of heaven they soar on her wings. What a glorious feeling! But just as the eaglet thinks all is well and is sitting on top of the world, the bottom drops out again. The process starts all over again. This time its little wings begin to operate a little

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