“…a vast multitude, hearing all the many things that He was doing, came to Him. And He told His disciples to have a little boat in [constant] readiness for Him because of the crowd, lest they press hard upon Him and crush Him.”
These words, from Mark 3 (Amplified) appear to describe the preparation Jesus made for self-protection and preservation.
At other times, we see Jesus simply walking through an angry crowd and going on his way. (Luke 4:30)
It is beyond the scope of this blog to talk about when and why Jesus accessed supernatural power, thus taking Him out of the scope of natural danger. For today, I want to think about why we might need “a little boat in constant readiness” and how we might secure one.
The “crowds” that threaten me are my thoughts, my memories and my fears. Added to these are feelings of helplessness, conflicting schedules and heart breaking stories. I need to keep three boats within easy reach so that I am not crushed.
The first is the embrace of His Presence. By keeping my eyes focused on the face of Jesus and my ears tuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit I have a refuge.
The second is the promises of God. I need to search His word and find a promise that applies to my “crowd.” If I don’t know what promise to claim, I can ask the Holy Spirit to lead me to one. Then I can “remind” God that this is what He said. We can “Stand on the Promises” as the old hymn says. It is best if we get a grip on one promise that specifically applies and then storm heaven with it.
The third boat is people who will pray. A pop up just came on my computer screen “You are now running on reserve battery power.” That happened to me this morning, emotionally and spiritually. I immediately emailed five friends who are interceding for me today.
I am glad Jesus gave us the picture of having a boat in constant readiness. Let’s check both the availability and condition of our boats. The crowds will keep pressing but we have access to protection.
I’d love to hear stories about your boats.
Silverstrands 
Roselyn, make it SIX friends who are interceding for you today — and EVERY day! Joanne
There are no words to express my gratitude for those who intercede for me. It is the best gift. My grandfather had a standard line when he opened any gift: “This is what I always wanted”. This is my response now to those who pray for me. Thank you.
One of my little boats has been evolving over the course of my walk. It is the bigness of what Jesus has done for me. It trumps any situation, any time, any where. Things that seem big, and may actually BE big, pale in comparison. What He has done is bigger, wider, deeper, higher and more awesome than we comprehend. It is eternal, so that no matter what comes my way, what He has done cannot be changed or taken away. I’m grateful for the night seasons that have made this real to me. I’m sure that there will be more, but it’s easier for me to apply the bigness of theJesus that I know today to the future unknowns than it was years ago.
Isn’t He good? Knowing Him changes everything.
Your words resonate in my heart. I don’t know who you are or where you live but I feel as though i know you. Maybe our Father will allow our paths to cross. Your comments drive stakes in the ground that stabilize faith on stormy days.