Dangerous Waters

Remember when the storm came along and scared the apostles (Mark 4:35-41) even though they were experienced sailors? Remember how Jesus was just sleeping through it like it was nothing? Why were they freaked out and Jesus could close his eyes and sleep with his head on a pillow?

Perhaps it was because Jesus had already spent time in prayer. Mark 1:35 says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." And the morning was not the only time Jesus prayed. He prayed in the evening. Matthew 14:23 "After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone." And He prayed all night sometimes. Luke 6:12 says, "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God." Maybe if we prayed like Jesus we would have the faith to trust in God more.

Perhaps it was because Jesus was going to church each week to read God's word. Luke 4:16 says "He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom." Perhaps if we were regularly spending time in worship and the study of God's word like Jesus did we wouldn't be so faithless in the face of fear. Romans 10:17 says, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." What messages have you been listening to?

Jesus was constently encouraging the disciples to remember all the amazing things he did in the past to they can trust him in the future. In Matthew 16:9 Jesus says, "Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?" They didn't believe nor understand because they were not remembering all he had done in the past. In Mark 8:18 Jesus rebukes their fear of not having food by saying, "Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?" Jesus wants us to remember. That is why he created the greatest memorial of all time. In Luke 22:19 it says, "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." We should take time regularly to meditate on all that God has done for us so we can remember to trust him for our future. We should be around the Lord's table each Sunday taking the bread and juice in remembrance of him. Perhaps if we obeyed this, we would trust him more.

We all face many dangers each day. We are constantly tempted. Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." We are surrounded by a heavenly realm of dark spiritual forces and powers. We are swimming with sharks. "Therefore put on the full armor of God" Paul says in Ephesians 6:13, "so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

When a person walks by faith in the Word of God which they constantly read, rests in the peace of a relationship they experience regularly in prayer, and remember all God has done in the past, they can rest through the storms of life rather than freak out.