A Storm in the distance...

When I finished my last post and closed my laptop I noticed a thunder storm in the distance. It must be far away because I cannot hear the thunder I can just see the lightening. It is beautiful. I wish you could all see it.

This reminds me of one of my favorite Bible stories. Please read on. I love to share my thoughts about this story. The italics are scripture from Mark 4. This story in also found in Matthew 8 and Luke 8.

Mark 4
Jesus Calms the Storm

35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Here is why I love this story.

First of all...Jesus was sleeping in the middle of a terrible storm. Did you see that? in vs 37 a furious squall, not a little drizzle...I don't know about you but when there is a bad storm and I am in my HOUSE I am awake. Can you imagine being one of these men on a boat, in the middle of a large lake during a storm? Hello! Scary stuff. And then there is Jesus, just sleeping away... I guess when you have held the waters of the Earth in your hand, things like this are no big deal. (Isaiah 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?)

Next... vs 37 Nearly swamped... Hello...What? How are you still asleep?...This means that Jesus must be wet. And these poor disciples... Soaked

38-"Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" OK, let's revisit the past ministry of Jesus and his life with these men. Look just at Mark now, this is after he has healed the leper, healed Peter's mother-in-law, healed the man with the withered hand, and cast out demons. As we look at the other Gospels we see that Jesus has turned water to wine, healed the blind and deaf. Are these men crazy? To me these are signs that Jesus cares!!!

vs 39 "Quiet! Be still!" All Jesus did was speak and it was! Just like creation... God spoke and it was. I just can't get it, my brain is so finite.

And now we are at My FAVORITE part- Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. OK, please don't miss this. Jesus speaks, the storm goes from a furious squall to completely calm. Still, glass-like. No waves. No storm. WOW!

Next, vs 40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" It seems like they still have no idea. How can this be?

Poor disciples- 41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" He held that water and blew that wind into exsistance, of course He can calm it!

So as I look at this story and think about it, I can see times in my life where I act just like the disciples who I laugh at throughout the Bible. How many times do I freak out at things that seem so big to me and yell out "Jesus, don't you care if I hurt?" "Jesus, don't you she dies?" "Teacher, don't you care if he does not have a home?" "God, don't you care if she hurts?" "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?". All the while He is calm, He is in control, His plan is perfect, He is in control. Every time I get scared and yell at God, I can ALWAYS (eventually) hear him respond -"Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" I (we) walk around terrified and I (we) have no reason to do so.

How many times does God have to prove this to me? How many times must He save my life? Did He not turn a death sentence into life, 10 years ago? Was curing my cancer not enough? Apparently not, I still question. How many lives are saved everyday because God has a plan for each life? How many homeless children does He feed and give homes to through goldy parents who desire children? How many times does Jesus grab our chins and hold them up out of the water as we drown in ourselves, in our sin, in our lack of faith? How many time today did I miss that hand on my chin?

God proves His care for my hurting through people who care and grieve with me. He proves His love and care by answering prayers, some immediately and others in His time. And regardless of if I believe it or not, God uses me to prove His love and care to others. I know that God still speaks to His people and that His daily presence in our lives is often missed. He still calls out the the storms in our lives-"Quiet! Be still!" and other times He calls out to us "Quiet! Be still!"

In my life right now Jesus has called out "Quiet! Be still!" and He is speaking to me, not the storm, for it may never settle. He has His hand on my chin, keeping me from drowning.

This Bible passage ends with a question"Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" I have an answer for you! This is Jesus. The One. The Way. The Truth. The Life. The Savior. My Jesus. My One. My Way. My Truth. My Life. My Savior. He can be your's too! Ask me how.