Don’t You Care?

And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.  Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, don’t You care if we perish?" Mark 4:37-38

There was panic on the boat and Jesus’ silence and inaction led His disciples to believe that Jesus didn’t care about their well being.  Of course we know that wasn’t the case, because when awoken, he quickly came to their aid and calmed the storm.

So, why did Jesus allow them to experience the storm? Was there something He wanted the disciples to learn that only experience could have taught them?  I think so.

I bet that experience, along with so many others, caused their faith to grow in the person they were following.  Jesus was preparing them to change the world and He knew they would need those experiences to understand, in greater depth, who He was.

I wonder how many times the disciples looked back on that time in the boat and drew strength from it, especially during the difficult times that came later in their life.

I wonder if Peter could have said with such confidence “you are the Christ” four chapters later if he didn’t experience firsthand the authority Jesus commanded.  After that day on the boat, Jesus was no longer the Messiah, the Son of God by word only.

Are you going through a storm?  Often, when we go through difficult times, heaven is silent and it feels like we are going through them alone.  But we aren’t.  God does care and He promised to never leave us or forsake us.  Instead, rejoice during those difficult times because God wants you to learn about His love, faithfulness, and provision at a deeper level that only experiential knowledge can teach.

In our testing and trials, its God’s desire that we discover what He can do and who He can be for us. 

Jesus is preparing you to change your world and those experiences of His faithfulness will allow you to face and overcome any challenge and accomplish all that He has called you to do.