You can probably look back over your life and see Jesus in moments where, at the time, you had a hard time seeing Him.
Maybe it was a closed door. Maybe it was a relationship that looked promising and then ended. Maybe it was a season where things did not make sense, and you were left wondering why God allowed you to go through it.
There’s a familiar story in the Bible where Jesus sends His disciples across the Sea of Galilee in a boat, and while they are out there, they sail into harsh winds and rough water. And I think it’s fair to wonder, why would Jesus allow them to sail into troubled waters without Him?
But then they see Him in the distance, walking on the water toward them.
That raises another question for me... If they were really alone, how did Jesus know where to walk?
They were never out of His sight.
That situation was not just about the disciples seeing Jesus in the storm. It also became the moment when Peter stepped out of the boat and stood on the water with Him. That was a huge moment for Peter’s faith, but it happened in troubled waters.
I don’t always like that part. I would rather grow in seasons where life feels steady, safe, and clear. But some of the deepest growth in my life has come through situations I never would have chosen.
James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and let perseverance finish its work in you, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”
That does not mean the trial is easy. It does not mean the storm is fun. But it does mean God can use troubled waters to grow something in us that calm waters may never produce.
So if you are in a season right now where it feels like Jesus is far away, remember this: the disciples were never out of His sight. He knew exactly where they were, and He came to them in the middle of the wind and waves.
He can meet you there too.