"As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake" 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” ~Mark 4:35-41 NLT

In this incredible story in the Gospel of Mark we read about the power of the ministry of Jesus… the authority of Jesus in the created order! And it’s easy in this story to focus on Jesus and the demonstration of his power and authority over the winds and the waves. However, there is another side to this event that I think relates well to our lives and to our faith.

You see… in this story we see the disciples struggling to make their way through a  mighty storm… and unexpected tempest that caught them off guard on what was otherwise a journey they most likely had undertaken many, many times! These guys were fishermen… men of the sea… seasoned veterans of the ups and downs and uncertainty of life on the water! Yet, when the storm blew up and when the waves began to break over the sides of the boat they panicked and began shouting to Jesus about their pending doom!

NOW… I want you to think about this just for a moment!

Jesus is sleeping soundly and the disciples are shouting hysterically! Jesus was un-phased by what assuredly would have been a bouncy bed! The disciples on the other hand to a person (Mark says that “they”) were frantically struggling to hold on! Can you picture the scene in your mind? Jesus sleeping… the disciples holding on for dear life! It is a really crazy story IF we simply view it from our human point of view because it seems absolutely absurd that someone could actually sleep through a storm like that! But Mark tells us that Jesus does… that is… until the disciple’s cries for help and assistance wake him up! And when Jesus wakes up he takes a moment to point out his displeasure with the disciples FEAR before he calms the winds and the waves with one simple command!

You know… I think many of us IF we’re really honest with ourselves (which is NOT something we are often prone to be) can identify with the disciples in this situation. The storm is raging… our FEAR is rising… and our cries are ringing out to God and for a period of time it seems as IF God is un-phased… asleep at the prayer wheel… unresponsive to our circumstances and situations! And as our FEAR rises… our FAITH disappears because by all outward appearances we’re sinking fast and God seems indifferent to the storms in our lives!

However, because of the end of this simple story we KNOW that God is NOT unresponsive… that He is NOT indifferent!

In fact… He is there with us… except the good thing is… He is NOT swept up in the appearances… and He is NOT phased by the storms!

You know… we all face different storms in the journey of life and faith… in fact… I have been known to say that most of us at any particular point in time are facing a storm of one kind or another, or we’re on the tail-end of a storm, or we’re heading for a storm.

The TRUTH is… stuff happens to all of us to varying degrees in this world we live in and what separates those who make it through as compared to those who get stuck in the waves and the winds is the issue of FAITH!

FAITH is the star of the story here in the Gospel of Mark! You see… whatever the difficulty or challenge that you’re facing or about to face… you have really TWO options! You can worry, and fear, and become anxious about it… allowing the storm to overwhelm you! OR you can TRUST that God is with you (as He was with the disciples even though they still didn’t fully understand it) and turn to Him!

The TRUTH is… there really isn’t any in between on this even though we often live like there is! We can either TRUST or TURN AWAY! We can either have FAITH or FEAR! We can either have REST or RESTLESSNESS! The choice is really up to us… we can engage our FAITH and BELIEF that God is with us OR we can falsely believe that God is UNAWARE and UNCARING!

In this story, the disciples may have experienced a momentary lapse of FAITH but in the end they cried out to the ONE who was able to calm the seas… to quiet the storm… to restore the peace that passes all understanding! AND when it comes to our lives… that is exactly what we need to do when circumstances come at us… when situations surface… when troubles touch our lives! In those moments we need to ENGAGE our FAITH by seeking the ONE who is there for us through it all!

Seeking the calmer of my storms…

Rev Trev