When Jesus Sleeps Through Your Storm

“I am currently sailing on the Sea of Galilee. Yes. The very Sea of Galilee in Israel that Jesus and his disciples sailed on. And as I'm in this boat, I'm just reminded of the scripture, the story that we read, and Mark 4, where a storm comes upon the disciples as they're sailing to get to the other side. And Jesus calms the storm. Let me read you the scripture really quick.

“As evening came, Jesus says to his disciples, ‘let's cross to the other side of the lake.’ So, they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind, although other boats followed. But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 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?’ 

“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. Then he asked them, ‘why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ The disciples were absolutely terrified. They said, ‘who is this man?’ They asked each other. ‘Even the wind and the waves obey him.’” 

“When I think about this scripture, first of all, it kind of makes me laugh. I think about the disciples freaking out. There's a storm. They're literally about to sink into the middle of the sea and drown. And Jesus is asleep, and they go to Jesus. And they don't just go to Jesus thinking, ‘oh, we have to go to Jesus because he's going to save us.’ No, they go to him freaking out, saying, ‘why aren't you freaking out? You're just chillin’. You're sleeping in the back of the boat. We're about to die.’

“And that's when he awakes. And he calms the wind and the waves. And the disciples are freaked out. They're like, ‘who is this guy?’ In that moment, they realize he's not just a teacher. He's not just a prophet.

He is the Son of God. He is the Messiah. Even nature obeys his command and it's because he is the Alpha and Omega. He is God in the flesh. He is the beginning and the end. When the storms come into your life, don't just look for a way out. Remember who is in the boat. God himself, Jesus, the King of kings, the Lord of lords.

“Let's not just look for a way out, but let's be reminded who is in the boat with us. Because when we realize God is with us, even in the middle of storms, even in the middle of chaos, God is with you. God sees you. He is with you in the storms and you're going to make it through.”