Week 13 of "52 Weeks with Jesus" helps us to understand why we should let Jesus be the captain of our life ship and what we can do to make that happen.
Jesus wants us to remember his promises, and one of the best miracles to exemplify reasons to put our trust in him is when Jesus and his disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee. "On the banks of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus invited his disciples, 'Let us go across to the other side'" (Mark 4:35). The disciples, like all of us, should have known that because of Jesus' presence they would have been fine and made it to the other side safely. But they grew weary when the storm came. The only predictable thing about life's storms (and the storm of the sea) is their unpredictability. They sweep in when you least expect them and throw you off your feet. Jesus knew this, so this miracle we're about to see teaches us how to weather the storm; how to respond.
A lot of times in life, we forget that Jesus has made a promise of safety. We forget sometimes that he guides us throughout all of our storms.
Like the disciples, however, there is a difference between hearing a promise and believing it. Sure, if you grew up in the church you probably know a lot of these promises. But many of us often fail to believe that Jesus will do what he has promised. So Merritt suggests that in these moments, we should remind ourselves that, "the sun may quit shining, the wind may start blowing, and the waves may begin crashing, but Jesus never fails to keep his promises." Isn't that a mind-blowingly awesome truth?
The author gives us a similar scenario of a father and his young boy. When the young boy was 5 years old, he asked his father for a bike and his father said he would have to think about it. A few months went by with the son continuously asking for a bike, and one day the father finally said, "okay. I promise I will get you that bike." The son's reaction was nothing special, he just said okay and waited patiently for that bike. The father realized something. He said this, "My son believed me when I made a promise. He trusted me."
Wow, this is exactly how Jesus wants us to respond to him and his promises. No, they may not be explicit words from a human's mouth, but they are written in God's word. They are exemplified through his life. Taking the time to read Scriptures is very important in understanding his promises; therefore, giving you peace about what he has said.
Back to the Sea of Galilee story... The disciples could have easily rested on their boat ride as soon as Jesus made his promise because they could always count on him. But as they were sailing, a choppy windstorm blew in. The Bible describes it with the Greek word "seismos" which translates roughly in the New Testament as "violent earthquakes." I don't know about you, but that sounds scary. No wonder the disciples started to think they wouldn't arrive safely. But they forgot one important thing: Jesus always comes through.
An interesting point that Merritt makes is that many of us think that God does bad things in our lives when we are bad, or when we disobey Him. But take a look at the disciples; they had been completely obedient to Jesus. In relation to today's world, this shows us something deeper. It tells us that all of us will experience life storms no matter how holy of a life we live. If you're fully in love with Jesus, you will still face storms. In fact, they can even happen when we're closest to Jesus.
Merritt suggests that we must face difficulties with fear or faith. But what’s the difference? Fear focuses on the storm; faith focuses on the Savior. It might sound counter-intuitive, but we need storms. God allows us to sail through them so that we have to rely on His promises and to learn to rest in His presence and power. God wants to be the captain of your ship, so let Him.
As the author so eloquently puts, “safety is not the absence of problems. Safety in the presence of Jesus.”
This week’s prayer: Lord, I believe there is no need to fear when you are near. Be near to me this day.
