The Unseen Miracle

"Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading."

John 6:21

John 6:21, serves as the climax to the famous account of Jesus walking on water, occurring right after the feeding of the five thousand.

This short verse contains two distinct, profound moments that reveal a lot about faith, human surrender, and divine authority over time and space.

1. The Shift in "Will": "Then they willingly received Him..." 

Just a verse prior, the disciples were terrified. They were in the middle of a dark, storm-tossed Sea of Galilee, straining at the oars, when they saw a figure walking on the water and thought it was an unwelcome ghost. Jesus speaks His famous comfort: "It is I; do not be afraid. Then they were willing to take him into the boat.."

The word "willingly" is key here.

It illustrates a fundamental aspect of the human relationship with the divine. Jesus does not force Himself into the "boat" of our lives or struggles. He waits for an invitation. He stands at the door and knocks - it's up to us to open the door. The moment the disciples chose to actively welcome Him into their point of crisis, the entire dynamic of the situation changed.

 2. The Double Miracle: "...and immediately the boat was at the land" 

Most readers focus entirely on Jesus walking on the water, but verse 21 records a second, distinct miracle: divine teleportation or a supernatural compression of time and distance. Most people miss this. 

The Sea of Galilee is roughly 8 miles wide. John notes earlier that they had rowed about 3 or 4 miles—meaning they were dead center in the middle of the lake, fighting a headwind. Under normal circumstances, reaching the shore would have taken hours of grueling physical labor.

The Miracle: The text states that immediately upon Jesus stepping into the boat, they arrived at their destination (Capernaum).

The Deeper Takeaway

For the disciples—and for readers tracking the theological themes of John's Gospel—this verse delivers a powerful message about sovereignty:

When Jesus enters the picture, the rules of nature, distance, and human struggle are instantly redefined. The disciples went from exhausting themselves against a storm to instantly achieving their goal, simply by shifting their focus from the fear of the storm to the willingness to receive Him. It emphasizes that presence matters more than effort.

Great Expectations: Finding Hope in the Heart of the Exile

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

 — Jeremiah 29:11

There is a masterpiece in English literature by Charles Dickens titled Great Expectations. If you have never read it, it is a story worth exploring. The novel follows a young orphan named Pip who suddenly inherits a vast fortune from an anonymous benefactor. However, as Pip chases after high society, wealth, and status, he undergoes a tragic transformation—moving from a place of simple empathy and goodness to selfish pride and empty ambition. Dickens brilliantly critiques how chasing the wrong expectations can cause us to lose our core values and genuine relationships.

Unwittingly, Dickens captured a profound spiritual truth. When we approach God, a silent but incredibly deep question questions our hearts: What are our expectations from God?

In Jeremiah 29:11, God clearly states His true intentions toward mankind. He doesn't just speak these intentions; He backs them up with the ultimate action—sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to a fate literally worse than death so that we would not face the retribution of our sins.

Nothing can be stated more beautifully than this promise. In this passage, an "expected end" is a future filled with hope, restoration, and ultimate good. It is God’s reassurance that no matter how painful, dark, or long your current season of trial may be, He is actively directing history toward a purposeful, beneficial conclusion. That is Gods stated and promised intention. What about our expectations? 

In our human nature, we often treat God like an anonymous benefactor, projecting our own "great expectations" onto Him. We expect money, wealth, ease, and elevated status. But God, in His perfect love, doesn't want us to lose our souls to selfish pride. He has a much higher standard for our lives.

If we want to experience this "expected end," we must realign our expectations with His intentions. Based on His Word, here are three things we can truly expect from God:

1. Expect Great Things—Aligned with His Word

Our expectations must be in sync with the Scriptures. When our desires line up with God’s heart, He delights in fulfilling them. Because our God is a great God, we should have truly great expectations—not for worldly vanity, but for spiritual victory, transformation, and provision as promised in the Bible. Anchor your mind to His promises, declare them continually over your life, and watch how God brings them to pass.

2. Expect Growth, Not Shortcuts

We must remember the context of Jeremiah's letter: it was written to captives who were told they would be stuck in exile for 70 years. There were no shortcuts. Sometimes, God’s plan involves enduring the trial, settling in, and growing during the exile rather than escaping it. We can confidently expect that God is present and active even in our darkest seasons, providing the exact grace we need to endure.

3. Expect a Meaningful Conclusion

You can rest assured that your suffering is not meaningless. Because God has "thoughts of peace, and not of evil" toward you, He is actively weaving your most difficult, broken circumstances into a beautiful tapestry. Your story will not end in despair.

Today, let us align our desire perfectly with His Word, Trust in the seasons of waiting and exile, knowing that He is present in the dark. 

Do You Want to Get Well? Jen Tan

One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 

John 5: 5-6

Jen Tan, struggling with breast cancer found God in her Cancer journey. She shares her experiences with God every Friday as she continues her battle - now with the grace of God on her side. 

We urge all our readers to pray for Jen as she goes through this very difficult treatment. Pray for the treatment to have minimal side effects and maximum efficacy. 
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Todays' heartfelt, honouring post captures Jen’s voice, her journey, and the theme “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. Her testimony inspires each of us and invites us into reflection:

In today’s devotional, Jen Tan shares from John 5:5–6 — a reminder that even in long seasons of weakness, Jesus sees us, knows us, and meets us at the deepest level of our need.

As Jen continues her cancer treatment, she reflects on how God’s faithfulness has carried her through moments that felt hopeless. Instead of an instant miracle, God is doing a deeper work in her — shaping her testimony, refining her purpose, and drawing her closer to His heart.

Her journey has become a living reminder that healing is not only physical. Sometimes God heals us by awakening our spirit, renewing our purpose, and revealing His grace in ways we never expected.

Jen writes with gratitude, recognising that God has had a plan for her life from the very beginning. Even in suffering, His faithfulness has never failed.

May her story strengthen your faith today.

Jen Tan: Where is God in the Cancer?

11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

In our association with Cancer Companions, a Global Cancer prayer support organisation, we have come across so many suffering with this dreaded illness. The overarching emotion is one of dread - for everyone involved and sometimes a fatalistic attitude for those suffering. The overriding question is " why me? I pray, I believe in God, what sin have I committed to suffer? Why do I have to suffer?

Cancer is not from God. Cancer is a tool of Satan to swing our mind away from God. Even if we are non-believers, it has the potential to trap us into despair and hopelessness which Satan wants us to believe.

Where is God in all this? He is the miracle provider. The healer. Our shield and buckler.

As prayer partners, we ourselves have seen and are the beneficiary of so many miracles every day. But the one top observation we have is this: While we expect or demand in our prayers that the Cancer disappear, we must remember God does not work like that.

He will not gloriously produce a miracle like healing. He does heal but not in the way we expect. Like in the quoted verse, He will speak healing in the silence, in an unnoticeable whisper. He will orchestrate the healing through His angels, people like you and me, doctors, nurses, correct medications, through grace to bear the emotional and mental havoc and the strength to bear the side effects. Like with Jonah, God did not stop the crew throwing him overboard, but he did save Jonah: by using a fish! Healing will not be instantaneous and painless - but His grace and power help us through. All this through His angels on earth who pray for us, who provide for us and who administer to our needs - medical, emotional and spiritual. People like you and me. 

Jen Tan speaks from her experience when she says- 

"Reading the Bible has changed my perspective on what an honorable life truly is. Before I started reading it, my life was centered around myself - my job, my earnings, my home, what I could accumulate, my hobbies, my family and my friends. Everything revolved around "me" and "mine". I measured life by what I could gain, control or enjoy.

This transformation does not happen overnight. It is a daily commitment to surrender and trust God even when we do not fully understand His plans and allowing him to guide us through our journey. I am learning to fully rely on him and that His will is not something to be feared, but something good, pleasing, and perfect, even in the midst of challenges".

So where is God in my cancer? In my trust of His word!

In the context of Psalm 91 and other scriptures, here is where God is found during such a difficult journey:  He is the "Secret Place of the Most High," a spiritual refuge where your soul can rest even when your body is weary. In addition, depending on one's situation, He caters to different needs as we see below: 

1. Presence in the Shadow: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." Not an Observer, but a Companion: He is not standing at the edge of the valley waiting for you to get out; He is walking the dark path alongside you, providing "rod and staff" for comfort and support.

2. He is in the Tears and the Brokenness (Psalm 34:18) "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 56:8 says, "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle." God is so present in your cancer that He notices every tear shed in a hospital room or in the quiet of the night.

3. He is Your Strength When Yours Fails (Isaiah 41:10)

When treatments take your physical strength, the Bible points to a different source of power.

The Right Hand: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Sustaining Power: He is the one "upholding" you, meaning when you feel you can no longer stand on your own, His presence becomes the floor beneath your feet.

5. He is the "Great Physician" and the Comforter (Matthew 11:28)

In summary: According to these verses, God is not absent from your cancer. He is in the hospital room, He is in the science of the medicine, He is in the hands of the caregivers, and most importantly, He is "under whose wings you have come to take refuge" [Psalm 91:4].