Suddenlies
by Linda Godsey
“They willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the
boat was at the land where they were going.” (John 6:21, NKJ)
When Jesus stepped into the disciple’s boat, two things happened. First, the storm ceased, and second, the boat suddenly landed onto the shore where they were headed.
The disciples had left the eastern side of the Lake of Galilee around 6:00pm, headed for the western shore. As they began to cross, a storm began to brew that made their crossing extremely difficult. They rowed with all their might, but by 3:00am, they had only covered three or four miles. They were exhausted after hours of toil, but they were only about halfway across the lake.
Suddenly, they saw Jesus headed their way, walking on the water. In the middle of the night and in the midst of a storm, He appeared. Jesus stepped into their boat and the instant His feet touched the deck of the boat, the storm ceased and the boat landed safely on shore.
Through divine intervention, Jesus revealed to His disciples that He had authority over the entire universe. He is still in the business of doing the same today.
The Bible is filled with references to “suddenlies.” Over and over, Jesus appeared suddenly and everything was okay. No matter what our circumstances, Jesus can appear and suddenly circumstances change. Here are just a few of the numerous mentions of “suddenlies” in God’s word:
- Suddenly, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and took Elijah to heaven in a whirlwind. (II Kings 2:11)
- Suddenly, the perverse (or our enemies) will fall. (Proverbs 28:18)
- God suddenly acts and His word to us is fulfilled. (Isaiah 29:5-6)
- Just as when Jesus walked the earth and physically appeared to fulfill prophecy, Jesus will suddenly appear and meet us spiritually in our circumstances as we seek Him. (Malachi 3:1, Luke 13,14)
- In the midst of our fears, Jesus suddenly meets us there. (Mt. 28:8-10)
- When alone, suddenly we experience His presence. (Mark 9:8)
- When you least expect it and there seems to be no hope, suddenly Jesus appears in power. (Mark 13:35-37)
- As we press into God for more of his presence; suddenly, He fills us with his Spirit. (Acts 2:2)
- When we need to be rescued, suddenly, He sends help. (Acts 12:6,7, Acts 16:26, John 6:19)
- Suddenly, He will return to take us to our eternal home. (I Thess. 5:2-3)
Perhaps you can identify a time in your life when suddenly Jesus appeared and your storm was over. Is it possible you need a “suddenly” in your life today? Whatever you do, don’t lose hope. One touch of the Master’s hand and circumstances and situations can change instantly. Maybe you need a job, or a child is away from God. Perhaps your spouse walked out on you and you don’t know how you can make it alone. It could be that you need freedom from addiction and you’ve done all you know to do.
Open your heart, cry out to God, and believe His word no matter what. Jesus will not only calm the storm, but He will get you where you’re going faster than you ever imagined possible.
This Week
Determine to trust God in all of life’s trials and challenges. Believe for His divine intervention in your circumstances as you pray and believe His word.
Prayer
Father, help me to trust you in all things; knowing that you can at any moment enter my storm and take me to my desired destination.
Linda Godsey is an inspirational conference speaker, retreat leader, and writer. She recently completed her first book, Heart Makeover. Linda also serves as make-up artist for Life Today.
