Pastor’s Weekly Devotion

“But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” Mark 4:38

In the midst of a trip across the Sea of Galilee the disciples encountered a storm that was so severe they thought death was imminent. The trip had been organized and commissioned by Jesus. He had told the disciples with Him to get in the boat and go across to the other side. We can rightly assume that Jesus knew the weather forecast. Yet, despite the forecast the trip was not delayed. God’s will was for the disciples to go through the storm. You might wish for a life without storms. Perhaps, you might even think that God should give you a life without storms. But, the reality is, sometimes God’s plan is for us to go through the storms. Jesus was going to reveal something very important to those with Him and the storm was going to the be necessary object lesson. That night while in the midst of the storm Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the stern. You would think His composure would have given the disciples some pause to consider the validity of their assumption. Instead, they moved forward in full panic mode with no confidence that they are going to survive. They woke Jesus and asked Him a very pressing question that was also an indictment. “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Deep in their hearts they doubted that Jesus cared. You might be in the midst of a storm and wonder if Jesus truly cares. In these moments of questioning and doubting I remind you to consider how Jesus responded. After brushing of the offense of a stinging question He quieted the wind and calmed the sea. If you are in the midst of a storm you can move forward in full confidence knowing that Jesus cares.