Devotional Thought of the Day:

When the disciples had rowed for three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the water. He kept coming closer to the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said, “I am Jesus! Don’t be afraid!” 21 The disciples wanted to take him into the boat, but suddenly the boat reached the shore where they were headed. John 6:19-21 CEV

855    Spiritual childhood is not spiritual foolishness or softness; it is a sane and forceful way which, due to its difficult easiness, the soul must begin and then continue, led by the hand of God.

As I read this passage from John’s gospel this morning, I saw something I had never seen in the event. At first, I thought it might have been something that was a translation specific idea.  But I checked all the ones in my digital library, and they all chimed in, in fact, the word was even stronger in the others>

Instead of “suddenly”, the word was “immediately”

They got to where they were going so fast they didn’t even realize it was happening.

One moment they were terrified.

Scared out of their wits,

Panicked, unable to make sense of what was going on, overwhelmed by what their senses told them.

The next moment,  they pulled their boat up on the beach, got out, and life returned to normal.

In the presence of Jesus, everything became different.  God was with them, their fears were minimized. They were being led by the hand of God, and their faith was profoundly simple. He is there, that was enough.

This isn’t foolishness or weakness, as St Josemaria describes. It seems to easy to do, this idea of becoming childlike in our faith. So easy we often reject it, and the comfort it brings. Our logic tells us to find the solution, to search diligently out the truth from the thousands of self-proclaimed experts, to take action, even if we don’t know what to do.

In the back of our minds we hear the psalm, “Be still and know…” and we think to remind ourselves to make time for that, later.

We need to hear his voice, now.  We need to allow Him to comfort us, now.

Then, realizing He is guiding us, we can begin to walk with Him through the crisis – and soon arrive on the other side of it.  That is where our soul needs to begin, where our hearts have found rest, where our minds have put everything on pause

Soon we will be through this crisis, and it will seem like it happens as suddenly as it started. Led by Jesus, the author, and perfector of our lives  Look to Him, Let His love cast out the fear…

He is with You!  AMEN!

Escriva, Josemaria. The Way . Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.