And the disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying,
“Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose
and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water.
And they ceased, and there was a calm.
(Luke 8:24)
Thoughts… Jesus and his disciples were in boat in the middle of a fierce storm. And the disciples were frantic, but Luke says that Jesus was sleeping. Sleeping in the midst of a raging storm!
Now that is an interesting detail the writer throws in. Why is that bit of information so important? Because Luke wanted us to know what Jesus knew about life in the hands of his Father: That given the care and the competence of his Heavenly Father, the world was a perfectly safe place to be, including a boat in the middle of a storm.
A raging storm is about to capsize their boat, and the disciples are screaming and struggling for their very lives. They think they are going to die. But Jesus is living in this settled assurance of the Father’s competence and care, so he sleeps right through it.
In their frantic state, the disciples went to Jesus, since they trusted him to be able to do something to help them. They had faith in Jesus—and that is a very important thing. But what they didn’t have, not yet anyway, was the faith of Jesus. They did not live in the settled assurance, like Jesus did, that they were safe in the hands of God.
The Apostle Peter, who was in that boat, came to know what Jesus knew. He later wrote in I Peter 5:7, “cast all your anxieties upon him because he cares for you.” He too, had come to know that when your life is in the Father’s competence and care, this world, no matter what is going on around you, is a perfectly safe place to be.
Do you realize that the Father cares for you? Sure you do! So why not practice a little casting today—especially if you are in the middle of a storm. Cast your anxieties back to the One who cares for you, and don’t be surprised if you fall asleep in the middle of your storm.
Prayer… Lord, you care for me more than I will ever realize. And you are competent to take care of all of my needs. So I cast my anxieties back to you, and in exchange, I receive your peace.
One More Thing… “With complete consecration comes perfect peace.” —Watchman Nee
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