Thursday, September 30, 2010

Get in the boat!




Image from: http://www.wildernessinquiry.org/images/trip_images/gallery/bwcacanoe_10.jpg


Jesus Calms the Storm
23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
26He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
27The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
Getting in the boat!

Do you ever get yourself into a situation and you’re wondering; how did I even get here? I manage to stumble into some pretty crazy places simply because of being the neieve girl that I am! But sometimes I can tell God is leading me to a place, or even into a conversation with someone about the Lord and I will have a mini panic attack inside because I’m fearful of saying the wrong thing or nothing at all! I somewhat giggled when I read this passage a couple days ago because of my qerky imagination in picturing this story. I think it’s because there’s a much more popular story about Jesus calling Peter out of a boat and Peter freaking out when waves come up; well now Jesus it says that “Jesus got in the boat and his disciples followed him.” And then another crazy storm comes up and they freak out while they’re IN the boat. There’s just no way of escaping this circumstance is there?  Ha. My little imagination continues on and I picture (now don’t take this literally because it’s merely what I invision—Jesus was probably way cooler) seeing these poor guys freaking out on the deck yelling for Jesus to wake-up and help them! Maybe they’re clinging to the wheel or the railing and here Jesus is sauntering up the stairs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes---stretching and yawning and saying “Oh you of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he just basically tells the storm to chill and it immediately stops. Of course then his disciples are like “Oh wow! This guy is crazy—even the winds obey him!”

The thing that drew me the most to this verse was verse 23 “Jesus got in the boat and his disciples followed him.” Like I stated earlier, so often we hear the story and the concept of “Get out of the boat!” which is legit and correct in the fact that we should indeed trust the Lord when he calls us away from our “safety net.” But sometimes, he calls us to a place like a “boat,” an everyday place or circumstance and a storm still manages to come up. The next thing to really glean from this passage is that Jesus was asleep. Jesus was not even the least bit worried about this “furious storm that was going to drowned all his disciples.” Do you honestly think that if the storm was really going to drown his disciples that Jesus would have continued sleeping? If so, picture him sauntering up the stairs to the deck the next morning, rubbing his eyes and yawning only to find that he’s the only one on the boat? As my dad would say, “No way Jose!” :) We need to remind ourselves that Jesus will never leave us, nor forsake us—as he states in the Great Commission:

“"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Do we forget that “all authority in heaven ….AND ON EARTH has been given to…ME? I am such a worry wart and I panic much like how the disciples did in this story. It’s so easy to read it and be hard on the disciples for having such little faith when, I hate to break it to you all but, so do we! My charge for you today is to follow Jesus onto whatever boat you may have in front of you (or off I guess if He’s having you walk on water a little). Remember who He is---yes, I’m sure you will be able to recognize the storm when it comes but remember that Jesus is sleeping downstairs and He wouldn’t have brought you onto a boat only to drown while he’s sleeping. I’m not saying that you won’t encounter some sacrifice in the challenges of life: just because we are Christians doesn’t mean that we are now invisible and immune to trials and tribulations. In fact, Jesus says “In this world you may have trouble ….yup—you’re going to have troubles, sorry guys?” And that’s it? No He says “In this world you may have trouble but …FEAR NOT for I have overcome the world.” (Thank you Lord for John 16:33) And just like it says in the Great Commission, “And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age.” What comforting words! No matter if you’re battling a storm in or out of the boat, notice that Jesus is either walking on the water with you or he’s sleeping downstairs.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Joni. I had to laugh when you described Jesus waking up to no one else on the boat.

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  2. I have never thought about getting into the boat before, and to think that while we are terrified with life and are calling out to Christ for help so often we see Him as sleeping. We do have to remember that if the storm were bad enough He would be more than awake but already calming the sotrm, to be sanctified we have to be purified and that process is done by fire. This has been an encouragement for me today, thanks Jonis.

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