“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:22–23)

The Son of God calmly took time to dismiss the crowds in peace. When, because of their full stomachs (see John 6:15), they suddenly wanted to make Him King in spontaneous enthusiasm, He withdrew alone to the mountain to pray there.When temptation comes, prayer is always a reliable weapon to resist the devil!

How much time will He have spent in prayer that evening? Certainly He prayed on the mountain for His disciples who were fighting the waves on the stormy lake during that time. That same Jesus (see Acts 1:11; Eph. 4:10) Who went up on the mountain to pray for His disciples on that occasion, is now—at this moment—acting as High Priest at the right hand of God for you (see Heb. 7:25). Do you reflect on this from time to time?

The next thing we’re told about Him is that He met the disciples on the lake in the fourth watch of the night, that is,between 3 and 6 o’clock in the morning. Although He knew that they had already been in great trouble for several hours, He was waiting in prayer for the right time to come to their aid—that is true dependence! He could have commanded the wind and the waves with one word from the mountain, but He didn’t. Instead, He wanted His disciples to experience that He would meet them at the right time in their need, to help them in mercy and grace (see Heb. 4:16).

One of the reasons God allows trials and opposition in our lives is so that we can (re)focus our gaze on Him alone. In times of need He wants us to get to know Him better and grow spiritually as a result. Like the disciples, we too can learn by faith that He is truly the Son of God, who is above every problem, opposition and fear that we face (see Mt. 14:33).

With every trial He allows, God is working in your life for good! Trust that, at the right time—which He alone knows—He will also intervene in your current challenges (see 1 Pet. 5:6)! Have you ever come to the point where you were so overwhelmed by the solutions the Lord Jesus provides, that you could say with conviction of faith, “Truly, you are God’s Son”?