Jesus Walking on the Water

If I ask what is it like to be in the will of God, what images flash on the viewscreen in your mind? Do you see gentle breezes and warm hues? Do you hear the peaceful sound of waves lapping contented on the beach? Do you feel warm, secure, and confident? Or are the images in your mind more of a violent storm and aching muscles screaming at you as you sweat to save your life? Most of us would see the former set of images more often than the latter.
Undeniably, being in the will of God is the place of blessing. However, we must never forget it can at times also be a place of great opposition and struggle. Paul wrote to the Corinthians about his circumstances while pursuing God's will for his life. "I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." 1 Corinthians 16:9-10 Plainly, the open door in Ephesus was a place of great opportunity, but it was also a place of fierce opposition!
This is one of the great lessons Jesus was about to teach His disciples in John 6:16-21. Remember what has already transpired. Jesus taught His disciples about assessing situations in terms of their own resources when He did the impossible and fed the five thousand. Now the time has come to apply these lessons. In a sense this was a mid-term exam to see if the disciples were paying attention when He taught and did His miracles. As we work our way through the events in this passage there are three lessons we need to learn alongside the disciples.