A Furious Squall

October 19, 2011

Continuing on in our Blog Devotional Series I read this today and God really impressed on me how applicable it was to our view of life as American Christians. Our text is in Mark, a story many of us know well. Jesus & the disciples were in a boat, the disciples were rowing, Jesus was sleeping and up comes a "furious squall". The Bible records that:

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" Mark 4:37-38 NIV

The disciples, despite all the miracles they had seen were scared of some wind and water. Sure, Jesus could feed an army with a few loaves of bread but the weather? That might hurt.

As Christians, particularly western Christians, it seems we have adopted this view that the Christian life is the easy life. It's the protected life. It's the guaranteed life. And it is all that, just not in the way we mean it. Our temporal earthly existence is very much in flux. The part that is guaranteed is Christ, our security in Him and His control and mastery of our circumstances. The daily circumstances themselves are never guaranteed.

Forgive me if I am wrong but I think many of us object when God swamps our boat. More correctly we object when we THINK that MAYBE our boat MIGHT be POSSIBLY swamped - true facts notwithstanding. Life events that we don't want, like, or understand sometimes make us nervous and fearful. And our response is to look to heaven and say "But You promised...". We forget though that God is God and nowhere in Scripture is there a promise that He keep us physically comfortable 100% of the time. Now eternity is a different story, it's guaranteed lock stock and barrel perfection if we've accepted Christ as Savior. Our soul can't be touched if we're God's. But our physical surroundings - they can change in the blink of an eye. The only constant is that God is in control.

I know I have been guilty of this in my own life, when the winds and waves kick up I am apt to freak out. But what does Scripture tell us? Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Do you think God is unaware of our circumstances? Or is He in control of them? You'd better settle this in your mind today if you've not already done so... God is 100% in control 100% of the time. And there is no guarantee we will like the physical situation of our circumstances.

There is a further phenomenon that I would like to talk about that I see rampant in the church. Even though we are admonished otherwise I can understand getting jittery about big events... the loss of a job... spouse...child. Those are world rocking circumstances and many Christians lack the maturity to be able to immediately respond with "Lord You are sovereign" as we ought. But it seems to me that more and more we take issue with God over what we want versus what we need. If someone else has a nicer car, a better house, a cooler job, we get jealous and envious and - as I have even seen happen - get aggravated with God. "Geez God, I thought you wanted me to have the best. Aren't I serving you more then that guy? How come he got the big raise then? Don't you love us? Didn't you promise us good things?"

I think this logic exists because we have it so well here in America. There is no universe in which any of these thoughts would be expressed by our brothers and sisters in countries where Christianity is illegal. They recognize that God owes them nothing. They owe God everything. They live, each second, by His divine provision and they are His to use as He sees fit. And daily many die for the privilege.

I have personally met Christians who have been chained, jailed, beaten, starved, tortured, and brutalized in unimaginable, inhuman ways - simply for being Christian -and I have never, not once, heard them complain. They are so grateful to God for His Love and Salvation that they take the view of Paul where he said:

...no one [should] be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4

James tells us:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3

Pure Joy? Yep!

In 1st Peter we find:
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

The events in our life are not random and they are not pointless. God uses events to position us, to refine us, to correct us, to grow us and to use us for His purposes. Who are we to object?

So, the net result? We don't get to be afraid when God throws some water in the boat... be it a few drops or a deluge. Trust Him. Respond out of knowledge that He is God, He is in control and our response is to come before Him as we read earlier:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

'Til Next Time... God bless!

Art: The Storm by Ron DiCianni

P.S. Here's something I do when I fall into the trap of thinking God owes me something. I get out my copy of Jesus Freaks and read what God could ask of me. Don't be misled that the book is "aimed at teens". I've been in the office of some of the most respected pastors in the world and this book is prominently on their personal bookshelf - it's on mine too.

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Comments


When you find yourself in the storm it is important to ask yourself which boat you are in. Is it Jesus' boat and part of the refining, proving and molding process? Or is it Jonah's boat and the storm is a result of the consequences and discipline that comes from disobedience?
Also, the Voice of the Martyrs / DC Talk book Jesus Freaks changed my life. Until I read that book, I thought I was a pretty good Christian. I was gracing God with my presence for a couple of hours almost every weak. What more could He want? That book lit a fire in me. These people were willing to die for a faith that I was barely living. I knew they had something that I didn't. This was the beggining of God equiping me to face storms that He knew were coming.

Posted by: Daymon at October 20, 2011 06:50 PM

Good word, Grant. Thanks for sharing.

I think we should be careful in judging the disciples' reaction to the storm. The way I see it, many of them were experienced fishermen -- the storm they were in was frighteningly fierce. They knew from experience this was a life-threatening storm. They truly believe they were about to die.

"But Christ was with them," we might object, "in person." Ah, yes, but they were human . . . they didn't know if that night maybe one (or more) of their lives would be required of them. It's not like the New Testament was written already . . . and all of them were still looking for some earthly kingdom at that point in time. Maybe they were "expendable"? They didn't know.

Self-preservation perhaps is one of our biggest challenges as Christians. And Grant, I agree, whereas the disciples feared for their lives in going to Christ and questioning Him; in America, too often we challenge God's love for us when our egos are scuffed!

Anyway, again Grant, great word! Thanks!

Posted by: Dan at October 25, 2011 08:17 AM


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