I'm Sleeping!

Did it ever seem like when you were going through something very hard, very heavy, very scary, that God was asleep? Not there when you needed Him? Didn’t recognize the peril of your situation?

The disciples experienced this themselves. Evidently, they had a humdinger of a storm out on the water, and Jesus was asleep. He was in the boat (God never leaves you), but He was asleep. Jesus was not up bailing, shouting commands, and getting things done to save the boat and crew.

"Hey, Jesus, what are You doing? Wake up! There is a storm out here, and we need help with this boat, or we are going to DIE!"  What is His problem? How can anyone sleep through a storm like this in a boat like this? Unbelievable.

Just think about Jesus waking up. He was in one of those sleeps where you fall through the mattress!  He cratered into that pad on the boat, and He was out. Not even a bucket-bailing storm could wake Him up.  He was comatose. But they managed to wake Him. He probably had one of those “What is going on?” experiences.  You have likely been there before: someone wakes you, and immediately you need to grasp all that is going on around you.  Jesus had grown men running around, freaking out. Experienced fishermen talking about burial at sea. The boat heaved back and forth, rain, wind, and waves battering the boat. It was a mess.

At this very instance, in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, God and nature had a moment. Whenever this happens, some freaking awesome stuff occurs. Remember, what the disciples are about to see had never been seen before.  “Peace! Be Still!” It appears that Jesus raised His voice. He likely did so on account of the men running around screaming. The storm could hear Him just fine. It was the men who needed to understand.

Jesus gave the storm a “Sit Down and Shut Up!”  and it did it - It did it! *Q#*U%()U*#)Q(*%)(#*Q%)(#*%)(* - how do you write mind blowing?  It did it. The guys on the boat must have shut up immediately. The verse says that “they were filled with Great Fear”. Yeah, I should think so. Great fear would be just the beginning. There may have been some pants filling as well! I imagine for many of the disciples, this sealed the deal. Jesus was the real thing. All the healing and other miracles were awesome, but Jesus just stopped a storm by telling it to shut up!  

So what’s the point for us today? The question is not whether God is asleep during your storm. The question is the one Jesus asked the disciples while they were in the doomed boat. “Why are you afraid?” Jesus was with the disciples in the boat during that frightful storm, and He is with us in any storm we encounter. If God is with you, why fear?

What would have happened if Jesus had not woken up? What would have happened if instead of telling the storm to stop, He had remained stretched out on the pad and done nothing? What would have resulted from the boat having to go through an unstopped storm?

They would have passed through it. Not only because the Messiah, who was with them, had to finish God’s mission. But because they all had missions to fulfill. Peter had to become the leader God had intended him to become. Judas had to betray Christ. John had to write the Revelation.  

Would any have been harmed? No. Would any have been lost? No. Once you have faith in God, that He is willing and able to carry out His plan for you, there is no need to fear. Why are you afraid? Where is your faith?

Mark 4:35-41