A thought from an old, Scottish preacher draws me again to consider and pursue "on the other side."
Jesus had been in prayer, alone with His Father.
At daybreak the people who had rejected His miracle truth but wanted more of His miracle food, searched for Him but couldn't find Him (John 6:25). And then they found Him --- on the other side. It is so often true in life that we find the Lord Jesus --- on the other side. These people found Him on the other side of self-gratification. The pompous, religious leaders wanted a king to slay their enemies and free them from Rome. But when Messiah came, He was not on their side but on the other side, the side of the poor and despised and downtrodden. What about us?
Are we lacking in compassion? The disciples meant well when they tried to send away the mothers of Salem, but they found Jesus on the other side; the side of little children and loving mothers. Are we too busy for people? For Thomas, doubt was an interior agony in the dark night of his soul, but He found his risen Lord on the other side of doubt and far more wonderful. Broken-hearted Mary in the garden thought her Lord was lost forever but she found Him on the other side of the Cross.
Do we have fear and heartache?
If the Lord Jesus is not real to us or seems far away, maybe we have allowed the circumstances of life to distract our focus. Maybe we need to look for Him and find Him --- on the other side.
With love & prayers,