The Other Side

Darkness, huge crashing waves and dangerous high winds were life-threatening factors pressing upon the disciples and rocketing fear and dread to heights they had never known. They were panicking because, if the present unconventional factors continued, they and their boat would go to the bottom of the lake. Initially, Jesus had told His disciples to go to the other side of the lake (Matt.14:22-27). At first, they were probably focused on their Lord’s instruction and enthused about following those instructions. They likely had a point of destination in their minds and could see it with the mind’s eye as they planned their route and even had a spot in mind to tie up their boat when they landed. But, en route, unconventional elements interjected themselves and the disciples were forced into an entirely different form of effort in which they could no longer see the conventional path or destination. They could only focus on immediate surroundings and attempts at survival. We must beware of reaching a point at which we are merely dwelling on just the facts. Focus on present circumstances and abandoning “the other side” and abandoning instructions or putting them on hold, will take the heart out of us which is a must-have factor in getting us beyond the choking grip of present factors. These may be the present facts but they are not the conclusion of the matter. In the Bible, present facts and final conclusions always looked very different from one another.