Who can blame a bunch of fishermen for being afraid? From their perspective, they were trying to save their lives. Where was Jesus? Asleep.
Mark 4:35-41
35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The disciples had every reason to be afraid of the storm. In the moment, they lost sight that Jesus was also in the boat. When we are in the boat with Jesus, the boat isn’t sinking -regardless of how angry the waves may be.
I remember a time in my early 20s when I began tithing again. Add it up however you may, the money was simply not there. As I placed the tithe check in the offering basket,and I remember thinking…”God, if we go down, we go down together.” It was a mustard seed of faith, but even then I knew that it was best to be in the center of God’s will — in his boat, so to speak. You can rest assured that He isn’t going under.
Looking back, what did I have to fear? I was in the boat with him.
Dear God, help me to draw near to you and find confidence in knowing you are near. Amen.