WHILE WE WAIT: The Fourth Watch

We wait. In the morning, in the evening, in the middle of the night we’re waiting.

For what? The what doesn’t matter – what matters is the HOW.

After John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14), Jesus went off to pray alone. When He came back He found more than 5000 hungry men, PLUS women and children. A now-familiar miracle followed – Jesus fed them.

I really wonder if that miracle was for the disciples at least as much as the people – did they even realize? But the disciples knew – after all they were the ones who gathered the measly fishes and loaves. We’re not told how they reacted, but I would’ve been blown away!

Then this: Jesus sent those same disciples off to cross the Sea of Galilee in a boat without Him, while He went to pray alone.

He sent them immediately, even before He dismissed the 5000.

When the boat got to the middle of the sea, a big storm came up.

For context the Sea of Galilee is very shallow and is shaped like a pear, 13 miles long and 7 miles wide, more of a lake than a sea. On calm waters it would have taken them about two hours to cross.

But this was no calm evening. They were scared, these men who likely spent much of their lives on the water, so it had to be some kind of a storm!

What did Jesus do?

Did He go to them? Did He rescue them?

Yes, but …

He came to them in the “fourth watch of the night.” (Matthew 14:25)

I admit I’ve never stopped on this before, not enough to ponder the timing for sure.

When did He send them off? Sometime in the evening, we’re told.

Now think about this – Jesus surely knew they would run into that storm – and He sent them straight into it. Then He went off, alone, to pray.

And when did He come to them?

He does many things immediately, but not this time.

Let’s call evening 7pm or so, and we’ll give them an hour to get to the middle of the sea. Then WHAM! The storm hit.

Jesus came to them, walking on water … we are familiar with this part of the story.

But HE DID NOT COME until the “fourth watch of the night,” which is from 3am to 6am. Just before dawn.

He could have gone at 8pm and saved them from the storm. He could have come at 9, or 10 or 11 to rescue them … but He didn’t. He waited. And He prayed.

And so they waited too – with a great deal of fear. When they saw Jesus on the water they thought he was a ghost. Can you imagine their terror?

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:26)

Ahhhh there’s an “immediately” that was welcomed! Because as soon as He got into the boat the storm just stopped.

Do you see how this can totally reframe our waiting times? We can trust Him even in the darkest hours because He knows what we need exactly when we need it.

So when we find ourselves in the suffocating blackness of night, can we trust Him to come at the right time? Even if it’s not til 4am?

Yes. And if we will remember those beautiful words that are coming our way – “Be of good cheer! It is I, do not be afraid.”- we can rest in the waiting.

Let the storm rage Lord, as long as it takes. I’ll wait for You.