The Night Jesus Passed By

What do you do when you’re obeying God, yet still find yourself in the middle of a storm?

In Episode 7 of Season 2 of Keepers of the Light, Dylan Burcham takes listeners into one of the most fascinating moments in the ministry of Jesus—the night He came walking on the water to His disciples during a raging storm.

As the disciples struggled against contrary winds and exhausting circumstances, they felt alone, forgotten, and afraid. Yet Scripture reveals that Jesus saw them the entire time. More than a story about a storm, this account reveals how God often uses life’s most difficult seasons to reveal Himself in ways we would never experience otherwise.

Through powerful teaching and practical application, this episode explores what it means to trust God when progress seems impossible, recognize His presence in unexpected places, and find peace in the middle of chaos.

🔥 Featured Scriptures include:

• Mark 6:45-52
• Mark 6:48
• Mark 6:50
• Proverbs 3:5
• 2 Corinthians 5:7

If you’re facing opposition, uncertainty, or a season where it feels like you’re rowing against the wind, this message will remind you that you’re not alone—and that Jesus is closer than you think.

🎧 Listen now to “The Night Jesus Passed By” and discover how God can use the very storm you’re facing to deepen your faith and reveal His presence.

Keepers of the Light is the official podcast of Gospel Lighthouse Pentecostal Church, hosted by Dylan Burcham.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Hey everybody and welcome back to Keepers of the Light, the official podcast of Gospel Lighthouse Pentecostal Church. I'm your host, Dylan Birchram, and as always, thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode. It means so much that so many of you just keep coming back for more and more episodes of this podcast. I'm so grateful for you. I'm so grateful for this journey, and I'm so grateful for what God has done, not only in my life, but in our generation. There's something so special about each of our relationships with God, and I'm so proud to be a part of your life. No matter when you listen, where you listen, or how you listen to this podcast, thank you so much for opening a door of opportunity for conversation. It truly means the world to me. Today we're going to step into a storm. Not just any storm, but a storm that was filled with fear, exhaustion, confusion, and a lesson that every believer eventually has to learn. Because sometimes following Jesus sends you directly into a storm. Today we're going to talk about the night that Jesus passed by. And if you've ever wondered where God has been in the middle of your storm, this message is for you. So let's begin in Mark chapter 6. Jesus has just fed the 5,000 people, miracles are happening, revival is breaking out, everything is exciting. Then Jesus tells his disciples to get into a boat and cross to the other side. And I want you to notice something important right off the bat. And that's that they didn't end up in this storm because of their disobedience. They ended up in this storm because they obeyed. In Mark chapter 5, excuse me, Mark chapter 6 and verse 45, the Bible says, and straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship. Sometimes we assume that if we're doing God's will, life should be easy. But Scripture teaches us otherwise. Some storms are consequences, and we'll talk about those another day. But some storms are clashrooms. The Bible says that the wind became contrary. Everything was working against them. The harder they rode, the less progress they made. And I wonder, is there anybody out there that's felt like that? You're working hard, you're praying hard, you're trying hard, yet it feels like you're getting nowhere. Some listeners know exactly what that feels like. I know in seasons of my life what that has felt like. You've been rowing for months, you've been rowing maybe years, and you're you're just tired. I want you, if you would, to imagine running on a treadmill. You're exerting effort, you're sweating, you're pushing, yet you're not going anywhere. You're not truly moving forward. And that's how life can feel sometimes. You wonder what's the point? Why isn't anything changing? Why am I still here? But God often does his deepest work in seasons where visible progress seems small, if at all. But here's one of my favorite parts of the story. The disciples thought that they were alone, but they weren't. Mark writes in chapter 6 and verse 48, and he saw them toiling and rowing. So let that settle in your spirit today. He saw them. Before he calmed the storm, before he walked on the water, before the miracle happened, he saw them. Maybe nobody else understands your struggle. Maybe nobody else sees your tears. Maybe nobody else knows your burden. But believe me today when I tell you that Jesus sees you right where you are, in the midst of your circumstances, and everything you've got going on, he sees you. Then we come to one of the strangest verses in the entire story. Verse 48 says, And would have passed them by. Think about that. It would have passed by them. Jesus comes walking on the water, and it says he would have passed by them. Why? One reason, and I truly believe this is the reason, is because throughout scripture, when God passes by, he is revealing himself. God passed by Moses, God passed by Elijah, and now God manifested in the flesh. They were about to see Jesus in a way they had never seen him before. So if you would imagine sitting in a dark room and you don't realize what's there until somebody shines a flashlight. The room didn't change, your perspective did. Storms have a way of revealing things to us. They reveal weaknesses, they reveal strengths, and most importantly, they reveal God. And so the disciples, they see him walking on the water, and instead of celebrating, the Bible says that they're still terrified. In Mark 6 and 50, it says, For they all saw him and were troubled. They thought that he was a ghost. Imagine that. The answer they've been praying for appeared, and they mistook him for a problem. Sometimes God answers prayers in unexpected ways. And because the answer doesn't look like what we imagined it would, we almost missed it. But Jesus speaks to them, and his word still brings peace today. It says, Be of good cheer, it is I, be not afraid. The storm hadn't stopped yet, and the wind was still blowing, the waves were still crashing, but his presence changed everything. Peace isn't found in perfect circumstances. Peace is only truly found in the presence of God. So maybe you're in a storm right now. A financial storm, a family storm, a health storm, or maybe you're in a spiritual storm. And here's the question: What if the storm isn't trying to break you? What if it's trying to reveal something to you? What if God is trying to show you who he really is? And because many people know Jesus as Savior, some know him as healer, some know him as provider, but certain truths about him can only be learned in storms. So if you find yourself in a storm today, ask yourself the question: what is God trying to reveal to me in this process? What is he trying to mold me into? What kind of faith is he asking me to exercise and show? How can I come out of this storm better than I entered in? Because he uses every aspect of our lives not only to show us our strength, but to show us his strength and reveal layers to him that we didn't even know were there. Let's pray together. Dear Lord, thank you for seeing us when we struggle. Thank you for never abandoning us in life's storms. And for every listener today who feels exhausted. Lord, I ask that you remind them that you see them. Lord, for every listener that is battling fear, remind them that you are near and they don't have to be afraid. Help us trust you when the wind is contrary. Help us to recognize when you arrive in unexpected ways. And help us to hear your words today. Be of good cheer. It is I. Be not afraid. Lord, for every listener in a storm, Lord, I pray a head of protection around them as they navigate this season of life. Help them to find new ways of trusting you and help them to ask themselves the question: what is God trying to reveal to me in the process? Lord, I ask that you lead, you guide, and you direct their steps in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you so much for joining me for another episode of Keepers of the Light. And I wish that you would remember this. The disciples learned more about Jesus in one stormy night than they did in many calm days walking with him. So don't waste your storm. Don't waste what God is uh seeing you through. Don't waste the circumstances around you. Let those drive you closer to him. And when the wind starts to howl and the waves start to crash and the storm begins to rage, listen carefully because you may discover that Jesus is so much closer than you think. Again, my name's Dylan Bircham. It's such an honor and a privilege to speak to you today through this episode of Keepers of the Light. And until next time, keep the light burning.