Along about the fourth watch of the night (probably near morning), with the disciples ship in the middle of the sea, the wind picked up and was tossing them around. Jesus saw them struggling with the wind blowing against them as they rowed, and when they had gone about 3½ miles, Jesus went out to them walking on the water. Now put yourself in the disciples sandals for a minute. You're in the middle of the sea. The wind is throwing your ship around and you've been diligently trying to row your way across, when all of a sudden you see someone walking on the water! Well, they'd never seen or heard anything like it before and their first reaction was fear. As He got closer, they thought it was a spirit and they cried out, but Jesus said, Be happy … it's me, don't be afraid. What a relief that must have been!

So, Peter boldly says to Jesus, Lord, if that's really you, tell me to walk out to you on the water. Jesus said, Come. And when Peter stepped out of the ship. He walked on the water to go to Jesus, but when he realized that the wind was strong, his fear overtook him and he began to sink. He yelled out, Lord, save me! Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him and said, O you with little faith, why did you doubt?

Jesus and Peter got into the ship and the wind suddenly stopped. Then it "dawned" on the disciples, what Jesus had done with the loaves a few short hours earlier. They were ashamed that their hearts were hardened when it was actually happening and they didn't realize at the time, how great a miracle it was. They were amazed and worshipped Jesus, saying, You're truly the Son of God.

That's happened to all of us at one time or another hasn't it? We've taken God for granted and failed to see His greatness. It's a terrible feeling when we realize it and repentance is really the only way to fix it. It happened to the disciples too. Praise God for His Grace and the forgiveness He gives us over and over again when we fall, then the only thing that can put our Humpty Dumpty selves back together again, is His hand.

Once Jesus got into the ship and the wind had calmed down, they immediately found themselves at Gennesaret where they were headed. When they got out of the ship, people recognized Him right away. People of the whole region started to carry people who were sick on their beds to where they heard Jesus was. In all the villages or cities or country, they brought Him all the people who were diseased and begged Him to touch even the hem of His clothing and whoever touched Him was perfectly healed.

Back in Bethsaida the people saw that there was no other boat there when the disciples left alone without Jesus the night before. When they saw that Jesus wasn't there and the disciples hadn't returned either, they sailed to the other side looking for Him. When they found Him, they asked, Rabbi, how did you get here? Jesus answered them in a parable, saying, Truly I tell you, You don't look for me because you saw the miracles, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Don't work so hard for the meat that perishes, but for the meat that lasts forever, which the Son of man will give to you, because God the Father has sealed Him.

Jesus was telling them that they not only saw, but believed the miracles that Jesus worked, because they ate the bread and were filled. But He was also saying that it was the Word of God that they were filled with before the miracle of the loaves, and not to desire things that are temporal, but for things that are everlasting. And those things, my friends, come from Jesus Christ, the Son of God.