We’re living in a time of uncertainty, fear and, for some, great despair. I’ve listened to countless people over the course of many months asking the question of where is God and why doesn’t He come through for us?
Dealing with the loss of both a mother and a father-in-law, I once again was reminded that God is willing to go the extra mile for us.
In Matthew chapter 8, verses 28-34, we find a glimpse of the extend that God is willing to go for even those who don’t know Him. In these verses, we find Jesus and His disciples arriving at the land of the Gadarenes after crossing a stormy sea at night.
Keeping in mind that the Gadarenes were not believers, they were not Jews, they did not belong to the nation of Israel, this story truly got my attention. After facing a storm, Jesus steps out of the boat and immediately He’s confronted with two demon-possessed men. He proceeds to free them from the demonic power that had held them captive for who knows how long.
But what truly stood out to me wasn’t the fact that Jesus helped these two men, but the fact that after hearing and seeing what Jesus did, the townsfolk asked Jesus to please leave the area and He willingly complied.
In other words, here we have God in a small rowboat at night, he had to face a raging storm, got out of the boat, helped two men He didn’t know and who wasn’t even Jewish, only to willingly get back in the same boat and go back to where He came from.
Now I want you to think about the following question: If God is willing to go the extra mile for two men whom He did not know, if He was willing to face a raging storm, even though they had to row through the night, just to get back into the same boat to return where He came from, don’t you think He will do the same for you and me?
I have heard of so many testimonies of God going the extra mile for people during this lockdown. And I have realised that nothing is too much effort or too scary for Him to do it for those crying out to Him for help. Remember, God is only a prayer away.
Jay-Jay Botha
Full Gospel Church
