Life is overwhelming.
Before college, during college, after college - there is always something that really grabs us and sucks all of the life out of us. We know that we need to take a break, but we never do because there's always a reason we shouldn't.
In Mark 4:35-41 Jesus and his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee. During this journey, Jesus goes to rest while the disciples "man" the boat, which this is something they can all do since most are professional fishermen. Soon, they are threatened by a storm and in verse 39 Jesus simply says, "peace! Be still!"
The storm stopped.
But that wasn't the end. Jesus then looks at his disciples and in verse 40 he rebukes them as well by saying, "why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
Is that what happens to us when we really need to take a break and refuse? We refuse to trust that God can calm any storm long enough for us to just relax like Jesus did.
We have to see that God is bigger and greater than any storm we face.
Really, Jesus was on a boat with men who were on the sea every single day - that storm had to be HUGE for them to be frightened. They even said to Jesus in verse 38, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
Obviously, he did, but let me answer that question for those of you who feel like you're perishing right now - he did AND he does.
We are so quick to assume that God doesn't know we are struggling, but man does he.
Jesus took time to rest, so we need to too. We need to trust that any storm that comes can and will come just by the sound of his voice. We need to trust that we can take the time to refresh so that we can continue through other trials with Christ on our side.
So despite the fact that even though sometimes in our lives we really don't need to skip class to take a nap, a lot of times we don't need to skip a nap to struggle with something that has yet to happen.
The storm Jesus calmed was very real, but don't you think he knew it was coming when he told his disciples to get in the boat and cross to the other side WITH HIM? Of course, he did.
Don't you think that when he went to rest he knew they were going to wake him up out of fear? Of course, he did.
God already knows our storms are coming so why are we so focused on sitting there and waiting for them? Why can't we just take the time to trust that the Lord will work and move when the time is right?
Don't force God to question your faith in him.
Let your faith be so large that you can rest, and rest well allowing him to do his work in his time and not yours.