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August 1929
T h e
K i n g ’ s
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51— THE WIND ABATED—The storm, or at least its terrors, will be over when He comes into the boat; if the wind1 does not cease, we can find shelter from it in His bosom. THEY WERE AMAZED—How prone unbelief is to wonder when God! fulfills Himself in our experience. 52— -CONSIDERED NOT—Neither the miracle of the loaves nor the stilling of the other tempest (cf. chapter 4). THEIR HEART WAS PETRIFIED—In this case stunned by the terror and the fright rather than intentionally hardened. The flesh indeed is weak; yet had they considered they would have been saved from it all from the very beginning of the night. 53— THEY MOORED TO THE SHORE—Not "drew” to the shore, for we are told that as soon as He was in the boat they were immediately at the shore (cf. Jno. 6:21). This was an additional miracle; we shall arrive safely at our destination as soon as He is in the boat (cf. Psa. 107:29, 30). 54— THEY KNEW HIM—i.e., not the apostles, but the peo ple, on the shore. 55— RAN THROUGH THAT WHOLE REGION—How zealous they were in trying to bring the necessitous folk to Jesus; how slow we too often are in that direction. BEGAN TO CARRY—They spared no pains in their kindly ministry; an ex ample truly for u s; we cannot save men by merely looking at them. 56— AS MANY AS TOUCHED . . . . WHOLE—So it is still; whosoever touches Christ with the hand of faith shall surely be made whole. But note, the sick folk had themselves to touch Him—the faith of those who brought them did not result in the healing; no substituted faith can actually save a soul. The Power of Habit Habit has been called “the inertia of life.” Get started in a certain way, and you naturally keep moving in that direction unless interfered with by some counteracting power. This is true whether your habits are good or bad. There is a double reason why you should cultivate the right kind of habits—in daily living, in home life, in social life, in business life, in religious life. (1) It is right that you should. No other kinds of habits are acceptable to God or good for any human being, (2) It is a power that keeps you going in the right direction, helps you in every time of trial, and makes you a power for good in that you exercise an uplifting influence over others. If our own habits are an element of power over others, let it not be forgotten that others’ habits exert a power over our own lives, either for good or for evil. This brings up the question of associations. It is both our duty and our privilege to' see that both we and our children (if we have any) keep ourselves in the association of those whose daily habits are of the uplifting kind. You, as well as others, need to be under that kind of influence .—Gospel Herald. Dr. A. C. Dixon once wrote •the following sermonette: “Every church is divided into two classes that may be called trees and posts. Plant a tree and it begins to grow. Stick out a post and it begins to rot. The difference between the tree and the post is simply a matter of life. The tree is alive while the post is dead. The pastor enjoys the living trees of his church, watching them grow and bear fruit, while he is often perplexed to know what to do with posts that show no signs of life. It takes much of his time and strength to paint and prop up and finally have carried off the posts when they have fallen down.” Which are you, tree or post? — Selected, m Dead, or Growing?
says “again.” It was the mountain where they had sought for rest. TO PRAY—Partly, no doubt, for strength to resist the temptation to become a King at the people’s request: this would be tempting to the flesh; and could He not do more to help the people from such a position? Temptations of this and other kinds were constantly besetting Him (cf. Luke 22:28). Note: One wonders, did the apostles grumble (openly or secretly; He would know in either case) at the labor of feeding the multi tude, and were they sent away partly to learn that toil with Him was better than supposed exemption without Him? 47— WHEN EVEN WAS COME—i.e., sunset, the second evening, the first being from noon to sunset. IN THE MIDST OF THE SEA—They had got about half way across, and could apparently get no further. 48— TORTURED IN ROWING, FOR THE WIND WAS CONTRARY—They were in imminent danger of death: they could not advance, and the boat had to be kept head to wind or it would have filled or capsized. And where was He? Why had He left them to perish? He could care for the multitude, did He care nothing for them? Was He taking His ease, all for getful of their peril, or was He ignorant of it? A queer rest they had had; first the multitude and then the storm, etc., etc. Are we wrong in attributing some .such thoughts or words to the frightened disciples? Are they not very much like echoes from our own troubled and untrustful hearts ? And meanwhile He saw and knew it all, yet did not go to their relief (He saw them toiling in rowing ). Why? For their sakes and for ours, that we and they alike might learn lessons of trust and patience, and be able to speak words of hope, and help, and comfort to others in the like distress. (How often in later days of danger they would remember that night and be comforted with the memory of His ultimate deliverance.) Lessons : (a) Trouble and dan ger are not necessarily signs either of our wrongdoing or of the divine displeasure—they were His servants, doing His special bidding, in the very place whither He had sent them, (b) They are no sign that He has forgotten us—He was watching them all the time, (c) They are no sign that He does not care— He was coming ultimately to their rescue. ABOUT THE FOURTH WATCH—i.e., somewhere between three and six a. m.; they must have been at least eight or nine hours on the sea, and still He had shown no sign. They and we were to learn that His delays are not denials, and that we must not set Him a time (cf. John 11:6). “Our God never hurries, but He is always in time.” HE COMETH—Sooner or later He always comes to His own; He never really fails them. WALKING ON THE SEA—Another proof of His divinity and a type of the fact that all the waves that trouble and hinder us have been put under His feet. WOULD HAVE PASSED—i.e., made as if He would (cf. Luke 24:28), probably to call forth a cry for help; they had not yet called upon Him, and He desires that call (cf. Ezek. 36:37; Psa. 50:15). 49— SUPPOSED IT HAD BEEN A PHANTOM—They had expected Him to come in a boat! How often we mistake our mercies because they do not come to us in the way we have marked out for their arrival; and even come, as it seems, in an undesirable fashion. 50— STRAIGHTWAY HE TALKED WITH THEM— How swift He is to try to still the fears of His people! He did not wait to try their faith, for He knew that they had none just then, and He deals with us, not as we ought to be, but as we are. BE OF GOOD CHEER: I AM : BE NOT AFRAID— This is ^exactly what we need in the days of darkness and storm. His voice—the assurance of His presence—will calm our fears. (Note the “I am” which He was so fond of using: He was the I AM of the Old Testament.) How many times are we told in the Bible not to fear; just because He is I AM; yet how often we fair to respond to the command.
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