Have you ever experienced the rollercoaster of life?
One minute, life is amazing, and you’re living your best life, then suddenly, one decision, conversation, or event completely changes that.
Or, maybe it’s the opposite for you. Perhaps you felt overwhelmed, anxious, or sad, and something happened to pull you out of the darkness, and you couldn’t help but feel happy, glad, or thankful.
If you’ve felt any of this, Jesus is right there with you.
In Matthew 14, Jesus experiences the rollercoaster of life. In the beginning of the chapter, we learn that John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, was unjustly beheaded by Herod. When Jesus hears the news, He is heartbroken and withdraws to a solitary place (14:13).
Have you ever been there? Maybe your cousin wasn’t beheaded (at least I hope not), but you’ve probably experienced the loss of a loved one, whether a close family member or friend.
Unfortunately, I’ve had multiple close family members pass away since I was little, and every single time the same thing happens – grief washes over me, and just like Jesus, I want to be alone.
What’s amazing is that Jesus has the same response to grief as the rest of us. Even though He was the Son of Man, the Messiah, and fully God, He was also fully human and experienced the rollercoaster of human emotions, just like you and me.
Matthew 14 continues on to say that as Jesus tries to remove Himself to the solitary place, a large crowd follows Him. Instead of turning the people away or getting angry with them, He shows compassion on them and heals their sick (14:14).
If I’m being honest, I would have let my grief and hurt dictate how I treated the crowd. In my mind, I would have been like, “How rude – I just lost a loved one. Can’t they give me a break?” You probably would’ve thought the same. But Jesus shows us the correct response. Even in the middle of the biggest drop on the rollercoaster, He shows compassion and heals those who are sick.
Later, as evening approaches, the disciples tell Jesus to turn the crowds away so they can go back to the villages and buy themselves food (14:15). I’m sure they weren’t happy about the large crowd “bothering” Jesus (can you blame them?), but again, Jesus doesn’t turn them away. Instead, He told the disciples to feed them (14:16).
Long story short, Jesus goes on to feed over five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Scholars say there were probably thousands more (including women and children) since the five thousand only counted the men.
How incredible is that? Jesus fed thousands upon thousands of people with a meal the size of my husband’s lunch.
What’s even more incredible is that this is the same day Jesus finds out about His cousin’s death. The same day He is experiencing the grief, sorrow, and pain of losing a loved one.
Quite the rollercoaster ride, right?
What I want us to focus on is what Jesus does next.
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on the mountainside to pray. When evening came, he was there alone…” (14:22-23).
After experiencing the lowest lows and the highest highs, He went to the mountainside alone to pray.
What do you do when you experience this rollercoaster I’ve been talking about? Are you like me and complain to your significant other or friends? Do you feel exhausted and just want to go to bed?
Jesus knew that at that moment, He needed to spend time with God out in His beautiful creation. Away from other people. Removed from distractions. Nourishing His soul with the presence of His Heavenly Father on the mountainside.
Getting out into nature amidst the highs and lows of life is the perfect place to meet with your Heavenly Father.
Thanks to what Jesus did on the cross, you and I can experience the presence of God anywhere – in our home, at church, at work, etc. – but there’s something powerful about spending time with the Creator of the Universe in what He has created.
I love how Bill Gaultiere says, “A primary way God nourishes our souls with his loving presence is through the beauty of nature.”
Jesus set the most beautiful example when He chose to nourish His soul on the mountainside. He could’ve gotten in the boat with the disciples or waited until He found the place they were going to sleep to spend time praying. Instead, He dispersed the crowds and removed all distractions, then found a quiet spot out in nature to spend time with God.
I want to end this devotional with three essential questions:
How can you follow Jesus’ example today?
What crowds need dispersing? Aka, what distractions do you need to distance yourself from?
Where can you go in nature to spend time with your Heavenly Father?
We may not be able to step off the rollercoaster of life here on earth, but we can follow Jesus’ example and go to the mountainside. Wherever that “mountainside” is for you, I pray that you encounter the loving presence of God through the beauty of nature around you.
