Jesus Is Present in the Storm
“But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’” (Mark 4:38)
Jesus and the disciples are in a boat together. The wind is pounding, the waves are crashing over the boat, and the disciples are panicking. They are in danger of drowning! And what does Jesus do? He sleeps... He is tired from a long day of preaching, which clearly shows that He is truly human. But how can He lie quietly asleep in such a threatening situation?! The disciples blame Him for not seeming to care about the danger they are in. They wake Him up and ask reproachfully, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus answers their question with another question: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
The disciples were not in control of the situation. That was not their fault. But Jesus' presence should have taken away their fear. He was there; that should be enough. He is in control of everything, even if we don't see it. We, too, need to practice that faith, preferably before the storm rises in our lives.
In Matthew 28, Jesus promises that He is always with His disciples. Do you believe that? Does that help you overcome your fear?