S – ⁴⁸ And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, ⁴⁹ but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, ⁵⁰ for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” ⁵¹ And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. 

Mark 6:48–51 ESV

O – Commentary:

Jesus came toward them, walking on the water: It appears that Jesus’ purpose was to rescue the disciples from the storm. However, Mark then states that Jesus intended to go past them. Numerous attempts have been made to explain this, but the best explanation is that “to go past them” speaks of a divine manifestation (cp. Exod 33:18–34:6; 1 Kgs 19:11–13): Jesus apparently sought to show his divine glory to the disciples. This understanding is supported by the disciples’ fear, a response often associated with theophany. • Many have tried to rationalize the miracle of Jesus’ walking on the sea, but Mark, Matthew, and John clearly understood this as a miracle, beyond natural explanation. If Jesus is in fact the Son of God, there is no need to find another explanation.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Mk 6:48.

A – In our storms, God wants to reveal his glory where as we want him to hand the challenge we face.  This is a clash of the spiritual world and the physical world.  Jesus did both.  He showed his divine nature by walking on water and then got into the boat and calmed the storm.  As we grow in our relationship with God, we want to seek both his divine nature and his power to work in our situations.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Holy and Powerful.  We invite you to work in the spiritual and physical realm on our behalf today.  We welcome your Holy Spirit to continue to mature us in our desire to know you more in both realms.