Mark 4:38-40 – “But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’“
It had been a long day; Jesus had spent the entire day teaching the crowds. At one point, the crowd was becoming so large that Jesus had to get onto a boat and teach them from the sea. Toward evening, He wound up his session and told the disciples to take the boat across the sea. Somewhere along that journey, Jesus fell asleep.
Suddenly a storm started brewing, and big waves crashed into the small boat. The disciples were petrified, but Jesus was still peacefully sleeping! The disciples were probably angry with Jesus as they woke him up. But Jesus remained unfazed. He calmed the wind and the sea with a few simple words. And then He chided the disciples for their lack of faith.
Jesus slept through the storm because He knew His Father in Heaven (who created the wind and the sea) would never slumber nor sleep. If you are going through a stormy situation in life, hold on to the faith that your Heavenly Father is wide awake watching over you. When you feel your faith is shaking, hold on to the promise that God will never leave you nor forsake you. And then you will experience the peace that will allow you rest safe in your Father’s arms, even in the midst of your storm.
