When evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was […] And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him” (Mark 4:35-41)!
In this story, Jesus gives the command to cross over the sea to the other side. The disciples were obedient to His command, never assuming they would have any real difficulty. It could be that they thought this was another routine mission, and since Jesus was with them, they would go to the other side without problems. If life is anything, it is not routine! Everything is subject to change. During the voyage, Jesus fell asleep in the stern of the boat. A fierce storm arose over the sea, filling their boat with water. The tempest was great even with Jesus onboard! The disciples frantically began bailing water. Being overcome with trouble, they concluded Jesus did not care that they were perishing.
In the midst of overwhelming problems, it is easy to get distracted by fear. The distraction of fear is often worse than the storm; it often leads to unprofitable reactions. The disciples being consumed by fear of the storm, forgot to consult with Jesus. In the midst of our storms, we must first consult with Jesus! Prayer should never be our last resort! Prayer is always our first responsibility! Scripture tells us to, “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). In the midst of our present crises, let us keep our focus on Jesus Christ! He is the One to whom we must look. Guidance, wisdom, knowledge, peace, joy, and our rescue all come from and through Him. It is our constant duty to always follow Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit and not give in to panic, whims, and fears!
Pastor Don