Shipwrecked Faith

Scripture:     Mark 4:35-41

Lesson:    All Aboard

There’s a private meeting on the shore of a public beach – “Hey guys, hop in the boat, we’re going to the other side.” Seems pretty simple. Almost routine. It’s interesting though how Jesus just tells the disciples where they’re going, He doesn’t tell them what they will encounter on the way. He promised them a destination but was not obligated to warn them of the detours.

Maybe if He had told them that the waves were going to be so fierce, water was going to pour into their boat and their Captain was going to take a nap while they were tossed around like rag dolls, they would’ve abandoned the ship before they even set sail. They would have sat on the shore for fear of the mayhem and missed out on their very own miracle.

They’d witnessed Him heal strangers that were sick and open the eyes of the blind, but they still didn’t fully see that Jesus was the  Messiah. Witnessing His power seems like a prerequisite for a disciple called to preach the good news; if they’d never faced that storm, they’d have no credibility to testify that Jesus truly saves. What they thought instead was that He didn’t care; He was too tired from healing everyone else so He was just going let them drown in their hour of need.

Jesus said “why are you so afraid, do you still have no faith?” It’s borderline offensive. How do you travel with the Healer and still have room for doubt?  They had seen His wonder working power, but they hadn’t experienced it. “Check this guy out”, they said, “even the wind and the waves obey Him!” As if Jesus’ miraculous power had just made the 6:00 news. It’s possible to be amazed at what Jesus can do, and still not believe who Jesus is.

They had to encounter the wind and the waves if they were going to proclaim that Jesus truly saves.

The disciples reached the other shore, with a faith they didn’t have before.

Application:     Don’t Abandon The Ship

It’s hard to be still and know that our God Reigns when the weather man keeps forecasting days that are cloudy with a chance of tears – but God is not obligated to tell us if a storm is coming when He has already promised us a safe landing.

Maybe God gave you a dream or promised you a destination. Maybe He said “hop in the boat, we’re going somewhere special.” But there was no warning you might lose your job along the way, your relationship would crumble or that you’d wade knee deep in your own tears. You thought you’d boarded a ship bound for greatness, then a storm swept in out of nowhere. It threw you off course, someone knocked the wind out of your sails and your captain appears to be asleep on the job; or perhaps He’s waiting for you to obey what the storm came to teach you, before He makes the storm obey Him. We cannot testify that Jesus saves until we’ve been in His boat through the wind and the waves.

Getting in the boat is free – getting to the other side is costly.

I have to wonder though, when the Father held a meeting in heaven and decided that Jesus would leave His throne to be the Saviour of the world, did He tell His son how much it would hurt to become flesh and dwell among rebels?  Or did he just say “You’re the only way for my people to get to the other side”, (John 14:6).

What if Jesus looked down and said “the cost is too high for me to bring many sons to glory – it’ll be too painful, their burden is too heavy for me to carry”? Jesus got on the cross so that we could get to the other side.

Don’t stay on the shore for fear of the mayhem, and miss out on your very own miracle – He perfects our salvation through our sufferings (Hebrews 2:10). When you sit in wonder of Gods awesome power, you can stand as a witness to His sufficient grace, (2 Corinthians 12:9).

You’ll never know how mighty the hand of God is to save, if you don’t encounter the wind and the waves.

Don’t abandon the ship – cling to the Shepherd.

~Vanessa

Prayer – Dear Lord I come with boldness to lay my burdens at the foot of your cross. Your word says that I can cast my cares upon you because you care for me. You promised that those who sew in tears shall reap in joy. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what you are teaching me through this trial. Stand with me Lord, and give me strength to face the storm, believing that it’s for my good and your glory. Amen

© Vanessa Donnan and Walk by Faith, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Vanessa Donnan and Walk by Faith with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Posted by vanessadonnan on December 27, 2013

https://vanessadonnan.wordpress.com/2013/12/27/shipwreck/