Scripture
Suddenly a windstorm struck the lake. Waves started splashing into the boat, and it was about to sink. Jesus was in the back of the boat with his head on a pillow, and he was asleep.
~Mark 4:37-38, CEV
Quote
God does not respond to demands or coercion: He does respond to prayer and He always has our freedom in mind.
~Howard Hunter
The scripture above reminds us of Psalm 44–“Wake up! Do something, Lord! Why are you sleeping? Don’t desert us forever. Why do you keep looking away? Don’t forget our sufferings and all of our troubles. We are flat on the ground, holding on to the dust. Do something! Help us! Show how kind You are and come to our rescue.” I open the Psalms daily and I am wowed with awe: it is like looking into a mirror that reflects my soul. Before I get to the heart of this Psalm, I want to think for a moment about the contrast between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus had infinite capabilities; the disciples were merely human. The storm was no big deal to Jesus. It created no anxiety for the Master. Why should it? He created the sea and He controlled the wind and waves. Thus Jesus was at rest in the midst of a storm. He had no fear because He knew His power was greater and He also knew the outcome. The disciples, on the other hand, are terrified. Not only were they disturbed by the storm, it also bothered them that Jesus was asleep. As humans are prone to do, they interpreted this to mean He didn’t care: “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?” Of course, you and I know they were in no danger of drowning. No tempest can swallow the ship were lies, the Master of oceans, of earth and skies.
Sometimes it seems like God is asleep. We are in the panic mode [like the disciples] and He is in the pillow mode [like Jesus]. In our fear, we are crying out to God. We want to be rescued from the frightening storm. The enormous vastness of the sea and the height and fury of the waves is causing us acute anxiety: save us LORD and do it quickly. But the Eternal One has a plan and He will not be rushed. You and I get in a rush because we don’t know the outcome. It is our fear and insecurity that pushes us and causes us to rush. Moses has some advice for us in Psalm 90–“Teach us to use wisely all the time we have. When morning comes, let Your love satisfy all our needs. Then we can celebrate and be glad for what time we have left.” Here is what the insecure disciples should have known: Jesus loved them and that love must be celebrated every hour of every day of our lives. Psalm 90 makes a wonderful prayer--“Father, when the day begins, satisfy me with Your love.” This will over shadow any problem: we must be consumed and constrained by His love.
A little extra: I like Moses prayer request in the last portion of Psalm 90:
- Make us happy
- Do wonderful things for us
- Show your mighty power
- Treat us with kindness
- Please let all go well for us.
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