This passage is not an unfamiliar passage to most people as it details a well known incident in the life of Jesus: when He walked on the water and subsequently when Peter famously attempted to walk on the water as well.
But most people overlook the emotional context of these verses. Jesus had been trying to find some quiet space all day. This is why Jesus had sent his disciples to the other side of the lake without Him. He had just finished an exhausting day of taking care of other people’s needs – feeding 5000+ people and healing lots of folks in the crowd – crowds that would not leave Him alone.
But even before all that happened He was looking for “a desolate place” where He could be alone. He greatly desired some time to Himself. Why? Because that morning He had gotten the devastating news that His cousin and good friend and fellow preacher John the Baptist had been put to death at the hand of Herod the tetrarch. He wanted some alone time so that He could grieve and spend time in prayer with His Father.
Sometimes the demands of life do not allow us to do what we would like to do. Jesus could easily have begged off for the day – and given the circumstances people would have probably understood. But He knew that He was needed so He plodded along even though He was physically and emotionally weary.
And I am grateful that He did. Two of the greatest miracles recorded in the New Testament happened because He plodded along, doing what needed to be done even when He would have preferred to just be alone.
As someone who greatly values alone time I know how hard it is to keep plodding and to keep being available to people when I don’t feel like it. But I also know the value of trusting God to use me and to strengthen me and to fuel me for what He wants to do through me. Sometimes God will do His greatest works in our lives when we don’t feel like doing anything.
So just keep plodding! Easier said than done sometimes. Here are three succinct thoughts that might help you proficiently plod.
- Keep looking forward. When you look down or look back you will lose sight of the goal and are more likely to give up.
- Never forget that His grace is sufficient for you and that His power is made perfect in our weakness.
- There is nothing wrong with being a lifelong plodder. This is how the turtle beat the hare.
So just keep plodding!
May the Lord use this brick in your life to remind you that His greatest miracles might just happen when you least expect it as you just keep plodding.