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Life Storms

by Steve Countryman  
5/11/2011 / Christian Living

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!"

This is one of those stories that I have read and heard throughout my life but missed the hidden truths. Four of Jesus' disciples were fishermen and they knew how bad the storms at sea could be. The wind was blowing hard and the sea was tossing the boat around so much so that it was taking on water. They feared for their lives. Gripped with fear they went to Jesus who was sound asleep on the boat and woke Him up. They didn't noticed that though the boat was in the middle of a terrible storm that their master and teacher was sound asleep. Think about it, Jesus was not awake fearing for His life like the rest of them but sound asleep. Not only was Jesus asleep but he slept in the bow or front of the boat. If you know anything about boating you know that during rough seas or storms that you must steer the boat into the waves so you won't capsize. Now the bow of the boat is the part that receives the blunt of the attacking waves causing the front of the boat to bounce up and down with the waves. It is not a place to try to sleep as it would bounce you around. But Jesus was sound asleep in the bow of the boat during a raging storm! You and I would have to be drugged to be that sound asleep and not be awaken by such a storm. Jesus wasn't drugged but was in perfect peace.

The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" Why did they wake Jesus up? What did they expect Jesus to do? They were upset with Jesus because they found Him asleep instead of awake shaking in fear like them. If Jesus was who He said He was and Jesus being with them on that boat in a bad storm when they found Him asleep their faith should have been bolstered but wasn't. His disciples didn't realize who Jesus was. If they had found Him sitting up with a worried look on His face it would have cast doubt on His claim of being the Son of God.

When Jesus awoke He rebuked the storm. Instantly the wind died down and the seas were calm. Even when a storm breaks at sea and the wind dies down and the skies clear up it still takes some time for the waves to settle down. Not so when Jesus spoke to them, it was done in an instant! Then Jesus turns to His disciples and asked them "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" I'm sure that Jesus had to be disappointed in them for not realizing who He was and for not even trying to address the storm themselves. The disciples only saw the storm and thought they were about to die. They didn't see Jesus as the Son of God their savior who wanted them to handle the storm. They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Life storms will always come because we all live here in the natural. Sometimes they come in waves crashing around you. Life storms come by one of two ways. One is by consequence of our bad decisions, poor choices or sin. The other is by God testing you. God doesn't test you to see how you will do for God already knows all things. God tests you for you to know how you will do in the tests. His testing is meant for your good and growth. For you to address those areas of your life that are holding you back and to prepare you for future storms. God will never tempt you. You pass His tests by not ending up in sin. Another words passing the tests means that when testing leads to a thought that may lead to temptation and you successfully turn away from the temptation then you have passed the test. You fail when you do not turn away from temptation and end up in sin.

Jesus' example to His disciples was that when you are in a storm and are surrounded by trouble on all sides YOU must realize who you are in Christ who dwells in you and talk to your storm. You rebuke it and tell it "quite and be still". Having the faith of a mustard seed YOU tell YOUR mountain of trouble, your obstacle that is hindering your blessings and your walk with the Father to remove itself and be cast into the sea. It takes your faith in action by your participation that calms the storm and moves the mountains in your life! For you are a child of the Most High God and you carry ALL of the power and authority of heaven in Jesus who lives and dwells in you!

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