In Mark chapter 4 we read the story about Jesus get his disciples together in a boat and set out on a voyage of several miles across the Sea of Galilee. As they set out, a fierce storm rises up and begins to toss their little boat around. High waves begin to actually break in the boat and it began to fill up with water.
I am sure that you have faced storms in your personal life and it is likely that you have also felt the grip of anxiety as a worship service is about to begin and everything starts going wrong. We see the wind and the waves, and feel our lives filling up with water and we are afraid that at any moment we will capsize.
The disciples were quite anxious at these events and they began to fear for their lives. They went to the back of the boat to find Jesus. Do you know what he was doing? Was he formulating a plan of escape? Did he grab ahold of the rudder and help to steer? No. Mark 4:8 tells us that Jesus was sleeping!
Have you ever felt that Jesus was sleeping during some of the stormy times in your life? As a tech director have you ever found yourself upset at God for allowing certain problems to happen in the middle of a church service or at the worst time possible? Even in our personal lives we can start to wonder why God allows us to go through these horrible storms when we work so hard everyday serving him.
The interesting thing about the story with the disciples is that Jesus is the one that told them to get into the boat. He told them that they were going to cross to the other side. He is the one that sent them into the storm. The failure was on the disciples not trusting Jesus to actually bring them across the sea they were facing. The disciples didn't think that Jesus cared, but he never lost control even for a moment. Even when He was asleep in the back of the boat He was still in control of the wind and the waves.
Once Jesus woke up he simply rebuked the winds and the waves by saying “Silence! Be still!” And the wind and waves immediately died down. Then Jesus looked at them and was probably feeling a little frustrated as he asked them why they didn't trust him.
Through the storms and waves of your life are you trusting that Jesus has not forgotten about you? Do you recognize that even if it seems like He is sleeping in the back of the boat that He has not lost control for even an instant?
Sure we face storms of all kinds: storms in ministry, storms of parenthood, storms in our relationships. These things come and look very scary in our life and cause us to feel increasing levels of anxiety and fear. But Jesus will get us to the other side. He has not forgotten about you. He is still in control of the storm.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7
Instead of being anxious about the things we face in life, Paul is urging us to pray about those things. Don't forget that Jesus is in the boat with you and will get you to the other side. But he goes on to say that we need to pray --- not out of desperation and anxiety --- but to pray with thanksgiving. Those disciples were desperate, scared and maybe a little angry with Jesus. That is not how our Heavenly Father wants us to approach Him. He wants us to come to Him with thankful hearts full of praise knowing that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords fully capable of calming any storm that comes into your life.
As we bring these requests to God His peace...not the peace that the world gives...but His peace with fill your life. This is a peace that is beyond understanding. It doesn't make sense how you can be peaceful in the middle of the storms in life, unless you realize that you are riding in the boat with someone who is far more powerful than the storm you face.
