Resting like Jesus

Matthew 8:23–27
“Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’

“Jesus responded, ‘Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!’ Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

“The disciples were amazed. ‘Who is this man?’ they asked. ‘Even the winds and waves obey him!’”

In the storm, do I sleep or stress?

When Jesus walked the earth, he demonstrated a restful dependence on his Heavenly Father.

Restful dependence.

Doesn’t that sound nice?

Notice verse 24 says the storm was “fierce.” Other translations or paraphrases use the words violent, huge storm, furious, terrible, severe storm, a vicious storm blew over the sea.

I imagine it was scary. I’ve not been on the water during a fierce storm, but I’ve seen plenty of movies depicting the situation—rain, thunder, tall waves, a boat being tossed about. I can only imagine how scared the disciples were. The waves were breaking into the boat! Yikes!

Then, there was Jesus. Napping. Asleep. Unaffected. If it were anyone else and I didn’t know who this man was, I’d wonder how, in heaven’s name, he was asleep during such a terrifying time. It seems… out of place. Inappropriate even.

But I do know who this man was. He was God-on-earth-come-to-save-us. I have read the rest of the story. I was not in the moment with those disciples. I cannot even say I’d be unafraid today in their situation, even knowing the end.

But I think this passage illustrates something wonderful. It shows a force of nature, which humans have no power over, threatening the very lives of those disciples. I’ve been in a tornado, blizzard, tsunami warning (evacuation but no tsunami), and flood. And those natural disasters were terrifying to me. They were probably somewhat similar to being in a boat during a terrible storm.

Nature can be terrifying.

I’d like to say I kept my cool and demonstrated restful dependence on God. But I didn’t.

But there’s more here to chew on. There is the fact that God is in control of nature. While humans are not in control of nature (more like we are at its mercy and it isn’t always merciful), God is. Let me say that again: God is in control of nature.

And everything else.

And still, there are storms—literal storms in nature and life-altering storms in relationships and jobs and homes. I think about addiction and divorce, abuse and loss. The storms of life—large and small—keep rolling in, and I’m going to be honest here: I’m more often the disciples who were reacting than Jesus who was napping.

So during the storms, how do I sleep instead of stress?

By sleep, I mean relax, rest, trust God, and weather the storm with that restful dependence Jesus demonstrated.

It is both hard and easy at the same time.

Hard because my human heart thinks if I panic and get busy doing something, I can stop the storm.

Easy because the Spirit in me helps me remember the words of Jesus.

John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

There will be storms in this world. It is not something we can control, and I’m not talking about the weather. I’m talking about this life in the flesh. It is sometimes hard and sometimes downright terrifying.

But Jesus says to take heart. He tells us He has overcome the world. Jesus is greater than the storms. Jesus trumps the storms. He demonstrated His power over nature in the boat with the disciples.

And while Jesus is not literally on this earth anymore or physically in the boat with me during the storms of my life, I do believe He is with me in Spirit, and the tempests will rage, but I can rest.

The storms will rage. I can rest.

How? Again, it isn’t always easy, but I keep coming back to this thought: I am not in control of the storms outside me, but I can alter the inner storms. And I do that by putting my faith, my trust, in God.

Over and over and over.

So today, I keep the lesson from Matthew 8 in mind.

Jesus is always with me.

Romans 8:38–39
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Storms will happen.

John 16:33
“…In this world, you will be plagued with times of trouble, but you need not fear; I have triumphed over this corrupt world order.”

Jesus didn’t panic, and I don’t need to either.

Mark 4:39
“Jesus woke up, and he spoke strongly to the wind and to the water. ‘Be quiet!’ he said. ‘Stop!’ Then the wind stopped, and the water became quiet again.”

When I am afraid, call out to God.

Psalm 34:4
“When I needed the Lord, I looked for Him; I called out to Him, and He heard me and responded. He came and rescued me from everything that made me so afraid.”

God is in control (even when life seems out of control).

Proverbs 19:21
“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.”

What about when the outside storm doesn’t subside? What about when I am left with debris?

I still believe Jesus is greater than anything the world has to offer.

I still believe He is in control, and He offers me rest.

Rest—the opposite of the panic those disciples displayed in the boat.

The opposite of the years of work I put into trying to control my environment.

Jesus offers me calm in the chaos.

Some might call this foolish. Some might call it naive.

I call it faith.

I’ve spent enough time in life trying to stop the storms, being afraid in the storms—white-knuckling, running for cover, battening down the hatches. And none of it has brought me more peace.

It has been Jesus alone who has calmed the storms inside as the world rages on.

The storms Jesus calms are inside.

I think this is where I went wrong for so many years, even after I believed in Jesus. I believed but did not always follow. I worked so hard trying to calm the storms outside myself that I missed the message of what Jesus offers.

Seek God, not solutions.

I’m not saying we don’t need to apply solutions to the problems in our lives. Of course we do! But the solutions follow seeking God, not the other way around.

God doesn’t follow our solutions—but solutions follow when we seek God.

It’s logical, really. When we chase solutions without seeking God first, we’re relying on our own understanding. Our own power. God doesn’t follow behind our plans. But when we seek Him first, the solutions begin to unfold in ways we couldn’t have arranged ourselves.

I seek God.

I believe.

I trust.

He calms me. Sometimes He calms the outside-of-me storms. Sometimes He doesn’t (not in my preferred timing anyway). But He always calms me.

The deeper I go into resting in Jesus and His power, the calmer I am.

This world gives me troubles.

Jesus gives me peace.

Hallelujah and amen!