He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mark 4:40-41
Fishermen in a boat….seems like it should be natural. Under normal circumstances it would be, but this was different. They had set off across the lake with other boats around them, so a storm was not expected. It came anyway. It wasn’t just a “normal” storm. This one was big enough to put tremendous fear into these experienced fishermen. They knew they were far beyond their expertise to make it through this storm.
This is not an unusual experience in life….you have faced storms that were beyond your experience or ability to face--if you haven’t you will. The storm might look like a relationship falling apart, financial stress, an intellectual challenge, a physical illness, or a plethora of other tense experiences. It’s easy in one of these situations to be filled with fear and uncertainty. When you are in the midst of that fear, it can feel as though you are vulnerable and about to be sucked into the pit of despair. There is nothing you can do.
Back to the boat--the fisherman forgot Jesus was there. They thought that there was no hope and that lack of hope finally brought them to their senses--to the true reality...Jesus was there!! They didn’t first think about asking Jesus to deal with the situation, they went to him in desperation. That’s when Jesus showed them the reality of the storm. They were in the midst of the storm--very unsafe conditions--but they were protected because Jesus was there.
Guess what...you are constantly in very unsafe conditions. That is the reality of a fallen world. But, if you are a Jesus-follower, you are always protected. That does not mean that you will not experience pain, loss, or sorrow. It means that Jesus is there in the midst of that storm to prevent you from being consumed by it. Where are your biggest fears right now? What storm is causing those fears? Don’t just cruise to the end of this text, actually spend time with Jesus asking Him these questions. Ask Jesus to show you His presence through the storm and to be your eternal hope.