Into the Word Wednesday~Jesus is in the boat!

John 4: 49 
(Jesus) said unto them, "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"  

The disciples spent the day with Jesus as he preached to large crowds from a ship. Afterward, he spoke with them privately, expounding on the teachings in greater measure. Can you imagine what it would be like to sit and listen to Jesus?

At the end of the day, Jesus told them to pass over to the other side of the sea. They did as he instructed and started on the journey. During the night a great storm arose. Jesus was sleeping in the lower part of the ship, seemingly unaware. In a panic, they woke him asking, "don't you care if we die?"

He rebuked the storm and then addressed them asking, "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"

Can you blame them for being afraid?  It's not like they could call the coast guard. The storm was beating on the ship and it was taking on water. Things must have been pretty bad for them to decide to wake Jesus. I bet they were talking about Him before they made that decision. "He doesn't realize we are in the midst of a storm. He's sleeping away and we are about to die!"  They thought he was literally and figuratively sleeping on the job. 

The disciples had just spent the evening talking with Jesus personally, He was physically present on the boat, and yet they gave in to fear. In fact, Jesus had given them the instructions that led them directly into the storm, and yet they didn't have the faith when they needed it.    

I've been there many times. The storm is raging around me, my life is taking on water, things look like they can't be any worse and I'm looking up to heaven asking, "Are you awake up there?"  Thankfully, God does understand and has tremendous compassion and mercy. When I cry out to Him, there's always a response. He'll send someone to give me encouragement, or I'll suddenly remember a scripture, or I'll hear a song that calms me. Sometimes, He simply rebukes the storm.

I've noticed that as I grow in my faith, it takes a bit longer for the storm to calm.  It's as if He's growing my endurance and working me toward the time when I will finally remember that He's leading me. He's not asleep on the job. He's on the boat with me!