‘See you on the other side’ is a phrase that indicates the sureness of destination. This is the assurance that you and I should have while in the hands of Jesus, and as captured by the episode in Mark 4:35-41.
”35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
Mark 4:35-41New International Version (NIV)
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
“Let us go to the other side”
This directive, “Let us go to the other side”, was preceded by a long and exhausting day of teaching a large crowd by the Lake of Galilee. Jesus had started to teach this crowd by the lake. A little later, He moved into and continued to teach them while seated on a boat near the edge of the lake. Thereafter, Jesus told his disciples to go to the other side of the lake. And they set sail with the boat He was in.
The Lake of Galilee is a large basin-like lake surrounded by mountains. Hence, furious storms come up quickly. And so without fail, that evening, as they were crossing the lake, a furious (great) storm came up. So furious was the storm that the disciples became very terrified (afraid). They therefore woke Jesus up who was dead asleep in the stern of boat. And they confronted him thus: “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
Jesus woke up and immediately calmed the storm. He then asked them why they were afraid and had no faith. All they could do was to retreat into the “terror of Jesus”.
See you on the other side
“See you on the other side” is a phrase that could have originated from the Apollo 8 crew. According to technology.org:
“As Borman, Lovell and Anders approached the Moon early on Christmas Eve of 1968, Apollo 8 and Mission Control prepared for the vital firing of the spacecraft’s service propulsion system (SPS) engine. That will place them in lunar orbit.
But that crucial maneuver would take place behind the Moon while out of contact with Earth. As the crew was about to travel out of touch, the spacecraft communicator Jerry Carr, a fellow astronaut, passed along reassuring words.
“Apollo 8, one minute to LOS (loss of signal),” he said. “All systems Go. Safe journey, guys.”
“We’ll see you on the other side,” Lovell said.
The SPS engine would have to fire for a little over four minutes. All the flight controllers could do was wait.
And people around the world watched . . . and waited . . . for 37 minutes and 32 seconds.
Then data began streaming to consoles in Mission Control.”
Are you confident enough to tell those close to you “see you on the other side” of Coronavirus? In this case, the current global threat known as the Coronavirus is very similar to the great violent storm that the disciples encountered as they were crossing the Lake of Galilee.
If you are confident enough to say “see you on the other side”, what is your confidence based on? What is your hope based on?
The words of Jesus
I desire for your confidence and hope to be based on the words that Jesus spoke to His disciples: “Let us go to the other side”. These words offer you and I a solid basis to put our confidence and hope at all times and particularly in the times of storms (crises). Just as Jesus had a sure destination for His disciples, He has a sure destination for you too. There is a specific call and promise(s) over your life.
All you and I need to do is to trust in God’s word (call or promise). Since it He who said He will take you to the other side, that’s what it’s going to be. He only expects us to trust him (Psalm 4:8, Joshua 1:9).
Storms
For sure, there will always be great and small storms during the journey to the other side. By the way, following God’s word doesn’t exempt you from storms. Therefore it will be critical for you to always remember that He who called you to the other side is all-knowing and all-caring.
He knows there will be storms on the way. But He will be with you in the storms. He cares about you (1 Peter 5:6-7, 2 Timothy 1:12). Jesus will surely get you to the other side (John 10:25-30).
Ask for help
While you may get terrified of the storm, Jesus won’t. Remember He was peacefully asleep in the storm. Why? Because He has authority over the storm. Therefore, all you have to do is cry out for help when you get terrified (Psalm 44:23-24). Pray to God about the terror of the storm (Philippians 4:6-7).
FEAR in place of fear
Fear is a powerful emotion. But there is two fears that are direct opposites – the fear of the storm (at the beginning) and there is the fear of the Lord (at the end).
The storm is not the point, the point is what you come out with at the end of the storm. That is, the fear of the Lord or reverent awe. Therefore, that which is totally divine is the product of the Lord’s deliverance of men.
The Lord will get us to the other side
Though we find ourselves in the eye of a threatening global crisis in the name of COVID-19 or Coronavirus, I want to let you know that the Lord will calm the crisis for us. Thereafter, He will get us to the other side or the next point of the journey towards our destinies. All you need to do is believe that God will get you to the other side.
Prayer
Thank you God for your word over my life. Thank you for the sure destiny and promises concerning me. I pray that You help me trust in Your destiny and promises for me regarding the other side. I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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