And, approaching, they rouse Him, saying, "Lord! Save us! We are perishing!" And He is saying to them, "Why are you timid, scant of faith?" Then, being roused, He rebukes the winds and the sea, and there came a great calm. Now the men marvel, saying, "What manner of man is this, that the winds as well as the sea are obeying Him?"
Matthews Account 8: 25-27, Concordant New Testament
It was definitely a difficult time in my life. My mother had just passed and I was openly wondering if God even was hearing me. My prayers for some time had been that the Lord would relieve her pain and heal her, but now it seemed as if God was ignoring those requests, or was He? As my good friend led the memorial service that day, he began to speak of the moment the disciples of Jesus began to fear for their lives in the midst of a storm on the sea of Galilee. Where was Jesus during this terrifying time? In the back of the boat asleep. Imagine the thoughts going through the minds of His disciples, here they were in the middle of the storm and their teacher was sleeping through it all! Why wasn't He helping them? So, they did what anyone would have done, they rushed to wake up Jesus. As His disciples stood before Him in fear and trembling, Jesus inquired of them, "Why are you timid?" {Matthews Account 8:26}. Jesus truly wondered what His followers were afraid of in the middle of this storm. Was He not the savior of all mankind? The living Son of God? Despite this, the disciples feared for their safety. And so, Jesus calmed the wind and the waves {Matthews Account 8:26}. Astonished, His followers wondered amongst themselves, What manner of man is this, that the wind and the seas are obeying Him?" {Matthews Account 8:27}. Who indeed. What made this passage appropriate was that I was enduring a situation in my own life where I felt as if Jesus was asleep in the back of that boat. Little did I know that He wasn't sleeping at all, but I was enduring that storm in Him. Too many times, traditional church theology teaches us that when times are tough, we should pray to God for His help and guidance. We're taught that we learn more from the mountains of our lives than we do from the valleys. But is God limited to the situations we endure? I would say no. For when we truly know God, we understand who He is and the depth of our relationship in Him. Jesus has spoken that we live in union with He and the Father {Johns Account 14:20}. Knowing this, what storm do we ever face that our Father is not an intimate part of?
Wherefore also, lest I should be lifted up by the transcendence of the revelations, there was given to me a splinter in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, that he may be buffeting me, lest I may be lifted up. For this I entreat the Lord thrice, that it should withdraw from me. And He has protested to me, "Sufficient for you is My grace, for My power in infirmity is being perfected." With the greatest relish, then, will I rather be glorying in my infirmities, that the power of Christ should be tabernacling over me. Wherefore I delight in infirmities, in outrages, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake, whenever I may be weak, then I am powerful.
Paul to the Corinthians (2) 12: 7-10, Concordant New Testament
The apostle Paul was in torment. He was going through a difficult time in his life, and so he prayed that the Lord would remove it from him. Three times we're told Paul entreated God to remove this torment from him {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 12:8}. What was the Lords response to Paul? "Sufficient for you is My grace" {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 12:9}. Paul understood that he did not have a distant relationship with the Lord, but that Christ was an intimate part of his life. We're told that there is nothing which will ever take us away from the love of the Father {Paul to the Romans 8:39}. Knowing this, what situation will we ever face that God is not an intimate part of? Church teachings based on our separation from God will have us believe that the difficult times we will endure are somehow due to Gods anger or disapproval with us. Nothing could be further from the truth. We know that the one true nature of God is love {First Epistle of John 4:8}. We know and understand that it is the desire of the Lord that ALL be saved through Christ Jesus {Johns Account 3:16-17}. Jesus has never been asleep in the back of that boat. When we encounter difficult situations, we do so through our life in Him.
~Scott~
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