I'm Sleeping!
Did it ever seem like when you were going through something very hard, very heavy, very scary that God was asleep? He was not there when you needed Him? He did not recognize the peril in your situation?
The disciples had that happen to them. 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 heaving back and forth, rain, wind, waves breaking into the boat - it was a mess.
Right here is a juncture between God and nature. When that happens some freaking awesome things occur. Remember, what the disciples are about to see had never been seen before. “Peace! Be Still!” It appears that Jesus raised His voice. This was likely on account of the men running around screaming. The storm could hear Him just fine. It was the men that 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 been silent. The verse says that “they were filled with Great Fear”. Yea, I should think so. Great fear would be just the beginning. There may have been some pants filling as well! I imagine for many 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!
Now to the point, the question is not whether God is asleep during your storm. The question is the one Jesus asked the disciples in the boat. “Why are you afraid?” Just as Jesus was in the boat during that frightful storm, so is God with us in any storm we encounter. If God is with you, why fear?
Question - what would have happened if Jesus did not wake up? What would have happened if instead of telling the storm to stop He just sat on the pad and did nothing? Well, the disciples may have done what we normally do. They may have grabbed Jesus and thrown Him out of the boat. But what would have happened if the storm was not stopped?
Answer - they would have passed through it. They all had destinies to fulfill and God was with them to see them through. 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