Matthew 8:23
Now when He (Jesus) got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
Jesus and boy's taking a trip...
Where'd they go?
Into the middle of a storm.
Didn't bother Jesus a bit.
He was fast asleep.
The boy's, on the other hand, were freaking out.
Boat's + High wind and crashing waves = disaster.
Not going to turn out good.
Do you think they boy's thought to themselves that this Jesus is lacking in some nautical skills? That He might have been one of those weekend boaters that went out to party and cruise around the sea of Galilee? They may have even thought, "You're really good with the theology stuff, but you don't know diddly about sailing!" Didn't mind what they thought........Jesus had got into the boat and they followed. Now here He was asleep.
Life is like that story.
Everyday, I have choose to get up and follow Jesus.
I follow Him right into the middle of life.
Life with it's ups and downs.
Life with it's celebrations and its disasters.
I choose to follow Him.
Now to follow means that I let Him lead. He decides the direction and course I am to take, and it's very simple.......I either go or I don't. I have found the wisdom in going and not hanging back.
No matter what, life is about storms....
Life is about those things we don't see coming at us.
Life is about problems that come crashing over us like the waves of a storm.
Life is winds that seek to blow us off course and stop our progress.
Yet through it all, Jesus is there.
We don't always understand that.
Somehow we come up with a Jesus that acts like the Calvary you see in the old western's. They are never around when you need them. Things are dire and the settler's are about to be overrun and killed, when out of nowhere, the Calvary rides to the rescue. Well, Jesus isn't like that. He's a 24/7 - 365 Jesus. He is always there with us and for us.
So why did He wait so long to take care of the "Storm" problem we read about in Matthew 8? Because everything we receive from Him, including our rescue, is on His time, and He is never late.
The thing I have found out in my own life is as follows.
Sometimes Jesus will take me around my problems, giving me new directions in order to avoid being swallowed by them.
Sometimes Jesus will speak to my problems and make them disappear.
Wait for it.......
Sometimes Jesus will hold my hand and we both will go through the problem.
(by the way..that last one is not my favorite, but I totally understand how it works).
No matter which one He decides on, He is there with me.
I can make book on that one.
When Jesus calls us to follow, He really means it.
Not just follow when it's sunny and 72 degrees, with light breezes.....
But follow when life seems to have the wheels coming off and there isn't a solution in sight.
Follow when the storm clouds are building up on the horizon and your path keeps getting closer and closer to where they are.
Follow Him.....
Trust Him.....
Don't turn back....
And what ever you do.....
Don't let go of Him.
God on you...
mb
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