Mark 4 : 36-41
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
If you spend any time living on this earth, you'll probably notice that life is full of storms. The older I get the more I realize life can tend to be a lot more like a constant dash to put out fires. And if things aren't on fire, something is probably going on medically with someone in your immediate circle.
Something is always falling apart, breaking down, or generally not working the way it's supposed to.
And when that happens, it can be really really difficult to keep going.
We can feel hopeless and long for an escape from the intensity of it all.
It is a great comfort, then, that Jesus has the ability to wake up from a dead sleep and rebuke the storm.
Let's unpack this a little. If you've ever been woken up in the middle of the night by someone who needs something from you (parents, I know you have experienced this; cat owners, I know you've experienced this; dog owners who don't have the luxury of a dog door, I'm sure you've experienced this, too), you know it's never a pleasant way to wake up. More importantly, if you're woken up by a frantic person, it's loud where you are, people are shouting and screaming and then you get splashed by water, you probably wouldn't be operating at your prime.
Let's be real, here. It takes about an hour after my morning coffee for my mind to be fully functional.
Jesus did not have the luxury of coffee in this instance.
Yet, he was still entirely capable of speaking to the storm and having it respond.
So today I encourage you in that whatever storm you're facing, even if it feels like God is "asleep in the stern," God can handle it for you.
I'm praying God's blessing over you this week!
J. J. Hanna is a writer and reader who loves God and wants to help encourage others with what she knows and what she's learning. Answer her questions with a quick note and connect with her on social media. She's excited to hear from you!
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