Jesus Christ, Our Coast Guard

Joshua Crawford

Stranded on a deserted island, a mere glimpse of the Coast Guard boat would do nothing to save you.  Obviously, you must get the attention of the boat to be rescued!  Imagine, you’d frantically wave your hands, fire a flare into the sky, light a quick fire, or even scream until your voice gives out.  If we’d take these desperate measures to attract the Coast Guard, how much more should we cry out for Jesus as we see him passing by?

In Mark 6, after a miracle-filled day of ministering to and feeding 5,000, Jesus sent his disciples across the sea to Bethsaida as he went up the mountain to pray.  “And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.  And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them.  And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.”  (Mark 6:48)  Never think Jesus doesn’t see our struggles, for 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is whole toward him.”

In fact, the Lord is always close by, ready to comfort, encourage, and calm us.  “He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified.  But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid.’  And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased.” (Mark 6:48-51)  Jesus is always near, but it’s when we cry out that he comes to comfort us.  “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”  (James 4:8)  The moment the disciples cried out, Jesus revealed himself, came into their presence, and calmed the storm.

How often, in the midst of our storms and struggles, do we neglect to cry out to Jesus?  Instead, we wrestle with the problem internally or seek others.  Acts 17:26-27 says mankind was made to seek God, and “he is actually not far from each one of us, for, ‘In him we live and move and have our being.’”  No matter your predicament, rest assured that Jesus has taken notice and come out to meet you.  Wave your hands, send up flares, scream out – whatever it takes – and he’ll come bringing the peace only he can provide.