Mark 4:35-41
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
There are some great songs in our hymnbooks and on Christian radio about storms: In the Eye of the Storm; Till the Storm Passes By; Praise You In This Storm; Precious Lord, Take My Hand; Never Let Go; and Raise a Hallelujah are just a few!
Most of them acknowledge that God is ultimately in control and many encourage us to sing and worship in the middle of the storm. As a pastor of worship, I truly encourage you to lift your voice in song to the one who controls the wind and the waves! But I think many of us should consider following Jesus’ example in this passage and try sleeping through the storm. Before and after this event, Jesus was teaching, healing and casting out demons doing His father’s work. Even Jesus got tired. Even Jesus needed to sleep. When the storm around him raged, he rested in the fact that his Father was in complete control. Conversely, his disciples allowed fear to dominate their faith so much that they even questioned whether Jesus cared about them!
My friends, we have been through some storms lately. Will we have fear in the circumstances that surround us or will we have the faith that allows us to sleep peacefully even in the most difficult times as we continue to do our Father’s work?
In Embracing the Body, Tara Owens writes about what happens when we sleep.
The world carries on around us, and God continues his great God-ing in the world entirely without our input. It’s a humbling and reassuring truth that we get to live into physically each day.”
– Tara M. Owens, Embracing the Body
Tonight, when you put your head down on a pillow to sleep, you are basically saying, “God, I can’t do any more today, I’m giving it over to you.” Then tomorrow, when you wake up, you can remember that God got you through the night and maybe, just maybe, you can make this new day about joining alongside His great God-ing instead of fretting about the storms of this life.
Dear God,
Thank You that no matter what appears to be happening around us, you are in control. Help us to focus less on the storms and more on the Kingdom Work that is already happening all around us. Thank You God for the opportunity to serve along side you as co-laborers in your kingdom. Help us to sleep through the storms of this life by trusting in You!
Questions for thought:
Where have you seen God today?
Where are opportunities for us to teach, heal and cast out demons for God’s kingdom?
How can we maintain faith over fear?
Ray Sanchez is the Pastor of Worship and Children’s Discipleship at First Baptist Church Weslaco. He is currently looking forward to the day that the storm of COVID-19 ends…but until that day, he is doing his best to put his faith in the one who commands the wind and the waves.