“Jesus, don’t you care if we drown?!” The disciples fired this question off towards Jesus when they found themselves caught in the middle of a violent and very dangerous storm as they were crossing the Sea of Galilee. (Mark 4:35-41)
It was at Jesus’ request they go to the other side of the sea. Scripture tells us that at Jesus’ request, the disciples got on the boat and set sail- no questions asked, indicating that the weather must have been right for sailing and the threat of a storm was nowhere in sight. Because who in their right mind would begin to set sail as a storm began to brew?
Disciples today are often like disciples of the past. We are good at following where Jesus calls us to go, as long as it makes sense, and no storm is within eyesight. But as soon as the storm begins to rage and the waves of difficulty crash upon our lives, we panic and frantically scream out, “Jesus, don’t you care if we drown?”
An ongoing storm in life can cause us to ask the daring question to our Savior, “Don’t you care? Don’t you care that the storm is raging on and that I feel as if I am drowning in this hardship?” If I am being totally, transparent, yes, I have asked that question. And I as I have asked that question, I learned firsthand, the answer is an emphatic YES! He does care!
Life’s storms have really caused me to wrestle through God’s word and learn how to properly apply it to my life. God challenged my heart through this specific passage by causing me to ask the following questions:
- What does this account tell me about Jesus?
- What do I learn about Jesus’ presence during life’s storms?
- What should I do in the middle of life’s storms?
- How does this passage help me to learn to push aside my frantic emotions to see God’s truth?
- What truths have I learned about Jesus?
- How does truth strengthen my faith?
- How do all of these factors provide me with unwavering hope?
- What has been fueling my hope?
When you feel like you are going to be overcome by your storm! RUN to the word of God for truth and speak His truth over your life!
Truth’s this passage shows us that we can cling to:
- Never will Jesus leave or forsake us in our storms.
- Jesus’ presence offers us a peace and rest in the midst of chaos.
- Jesus is greater than any storm we face!
- Just as creation was spoken into existence, creation still obeys the voice of our Creator!
- Jesus longs for us to focus on truth during our storms! (Jesus, specifically asked, “Why are you so afraid?”)
- Jesus longs for us see His power over all things and therefore we can always have faith in Him to carry us through whatever we face!
- Our faith can only be strengthened by growing in our knowledge of Jesus!
- We can live life confidently because whatever comes our way, God’s presence remains and He remains sovereign over all things!
- Jesus alone is the true essence of hope- In Christ alone our hope is found!
Friends, if you find yourself in some sort of storm today, this passage of scripture holds rich truths for you to cling to! Jesus, our all-knowing Savior, is guiding your steps each and every day! As He calls you from one place to another, there will be (not maybe) storms that we face. As we face those storms, we can know that YES, my Savior cares for me!
Highlighting the hope that we have in Christ! 