I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Matthew 14. This Chapter has a lot going on, but I have limited time. In the beginning of the Chapter we see that Herod (who for me is not very smart) beheads John, not because he really wanted to, but because he made an oath his niece.  John’s disciples then go and tell Jesus about John’s death. “When Jesus hard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place” (Verse 13). I never really noticed this verse before, my take on it? Jesus is grieving, He is taking a moment to process the fact that a family member has died, His humanity is very much displayed in this Verse. The next Verse shows that even in grief He is still focused on what He came to do. “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Verse 14). Wow! He is grieving, He is hurting and instead of lashing out, He has compassion. He has lost someone to death, but He heals their sick. How amazing is our God! He goes on to feed the five thousand, then my favorite story in scripture because it is such a picture of mankind. The disciples are in a boat crossing to the other side when they see a figure coming to them on the water (not gonna lie, I’d be a little scared too). “But immediately Jesus said to them, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Lord, if it is you’, said Peter, ‘Tell me to come to you on the water’. ‘Come’, He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. BUT when he saw the wave and the winds , he was afraid and began to sink” (Verses 27-30). Lesson we sink when we take our eyes of the Lord, but if we keep our eyes focused on Him, we can walk on water.