The Fearful
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:39-41
Here we see yet another story told of in the text. Perhaps some of you might remember from before where everything was in stories so that seeing we might hear and hearing we might see and by understanding might we believe. That might not make any sense to you just now, but it soon will. So it seems Jesus had gathered all the people together in the house down by the sea. Well, it wasn't really a house was it just yet, but rather for a message about sowing and reaping that he really wanted them to hear. Then when all was completed, Jesus took his disciples aside into a boat and left to go back across the lake. As they were going though, a great storm came up so as to drown them or carry them off. Well, that's what it looked like from the disciples point of view at least.
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
A careful reading of the text tells how that the water filled up the boat from the inside but nothing was harmed. Now I don't know about you, but I know a little something about boats. Should one ever fill up with water from a great storm, you can almost except it to sink immediately right then and there. The fact that this one did not, speaks to his power. More than that it speaks to his immense control over the natural and the supernatural world. After all that, how can the Master still sleep in the back of the boat filled up with water like that. See, when you are the same one who made the worlds and all that dwells therein, it should come as no surprise to you that all creation is at his beck and call. The storm wanted nothing more than to see it's Master there. More than that it wished to hear his voice. So too does God seem like that in all the things we face. At times it might look like he's back there on a pillow sound asleep. Perhaps it's the same pillow that carries some of us all the way to glory, who knows. For not a mention was ever made once of the disciples doing anything to help their situation out.
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
There are some things we go through then that only God could face. This then was one of them So too are there some things that only he could handle or from them take away. In this can we too rest knowing God has not brought us here to destroy us nor let us of it be carried away. We too look an awful lot like these disciples at times as we wonder did God really say. See, when he said he would never forsake us nor leave us alone, he really really meant it, even if he does appear to be asleep at the moment. Know this, no matter what it looks like God is God all the time.
There is nothing that will ever happen to remove him from his rightful place of ruling and reigning over all. It's just who he is. So knowing this I too can face tomorrow trusting in the God who holds it all. He's got yesterday, today, and even tomorrow. In him then can you rest knowing he too has got your back as the disciples rather ought. There has never been a moment in time when he has abandoned us nor yet left us alone. For the God who holds tomorrow surely has got both your life and mine. Even should he ever not, it's enough knowing that the wind and the sea obey him, at least for now.