Devo: Mark 4:35-41

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” V. 38

The disciples were annoyed because Jesus was just sleeping on the boat instead of helping them. How often is it that we find ourselves in the situation that the disciples were in? When things are out of our control, we tend to complain to God. Some even get angry at God thinking that He refuses to help when His help is much needed.

“But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him…” V. 38

The windstorm, the water filling the boat, and the disciples’ noise didn’t wake Him up. He only woke up when His disciples woke Him up. Nothing bothers Jesus. He is only stirred when we cry out to Him.

“There may be both a sleeping Christ and a sleeping church, but neither Christ nor His church can perish. If our Lord be asleep, He is asleep near the helm – He has only to put His hand out and steer the vessel at once. He is asleep, but He only sleeps until we cry more loudly to Him. When we get into such trouble that we cannot help ourselves and feel our entire dependence on Him, then He will reveal His power.” Spurgeon

“…He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.'” V. 35

Before they got on the boat, Jesus told them that they would cross over to the other side of the lake. When Jesus told His disciples that they would cross over the lake, He meant they would get to the other side safe. It means that they wouldn’t perish while crossing. When Jesus says something, He will do it.

This story reminds us to trust in the Lord always. God’s promises are not merely words. God’s promises will help us because God fulfills His promises.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

Also, God does not lie. He says something and does it.

“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Hebrews 6:17-18

“Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” V. 40

“It was not their fear of the storm that made Jesus say they had no faith . A small boat in a big storm is a scary place, and the initial fear itself isn’t wrong. What the disciples chose to do with the fear made all the difference.” enduringword.com

Wow. God does not invalidate our emotions. It’s normal to experience fear in that situation. Jesus said they had no faith not because they were scared of the windstorm but because Jesus told them they would get to the other side of the lake and they didn’t trust His Word.

Sometimes, even when God gave us a promise, when trials come, we forget His promise. Sometimes we even think that He won’t really fulfill His promise because it seems impossible for it to happen. Sometimes also, because His promise takes so long to come, we think that God already forgot His promise and we just give up. However, God is faithful. He is true to His promises. He isn’t like us humans who often forget.

“Jesus could say they had no faith because they forgot the big picture. The disciples should have known that God would not allow the Messiah to perish in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. Could the story of Jesus possibly end with Him drowning in a boat accident on the Sea of Galilee? “Our fears are often intensely silly, and when we get over them, and ourselves look back upon them, we are full of shame that we should have been so foolish. Our Lord kindly censured their unbelief because it was unreasonable.” Spurgeon

Worry is a sin. It shows that we don’t trust God to help us. God cares about us and He will help us when we cry out to Him. He is always with us. He is on the boat with us even when it sometimes seem like the boat is sinking.