July 17

Toiling in Rowing

He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them. — Mark 6:48

Jesus always sees our toils and distresses in this world. We do not see Him, and sometimes we think He has forgotten us; but that is never true. He is never indifferent for a moment. On the heights of Sedan, while the battle was in progress, stood a group of men watching the struggling armies in the plain below. In this group was the American general Sheridan, who watched the mighty strife with the keen eye of a soldier. King William was also there; but his interest was different from Sheridan’s. His son was in the thick of the fight, and he watched the battle with the eye of a father as well as of a king.

Christ looks down upon our struggles in this world. He sees us toiling; all our battles and strifes He beholds. He sees us in the waves and in the storm. He sees us, not with the eye of the calm spectator merely, but with the eye of tenderest love. This is a great thought; if we can only get it into our hearts, it will give us wondrous courage in the hour of toil, sorrow, or struggle. Jesus knows when the battle is hard, when the night is dark, when the temptation is more than we can bear.

Here the winds were contrary, though Christ sent His disciples out to sea. We learn that even when we are doing the things God has bidden us do, we may encounter opposition and sore difficulty. We may even be beaten back, and find the resistance too great for our strength. Many of the Lord’s disciples have to make their voyage over very stormy seas on their way to glory. For some people duty is hard; indeed, a true, noble, positive, aggressive life must always be in the face of opposition and contrary winds. “The law of head-winds in life is doubtless in the secret love of God. When the voyage is over, perhaps we shall be let see the charts, and know why it had to-be.”