Thunder Roars; Jesus Snores;

Almost two weeks back our men's prayer group huddled itself in a room at the World Prayer Center to pray against the raging issues that revolve around our lives and to stand up on the wall for each other. We love doing this and we clearly see the presence of God coming in and calming our hearts/minds with unity. During the sharing time one of my friends John Shepard brought a unique perspective about the story of the storm that rocked the boat in which the disciples were. The perspective struck me and blessed me with a new insight. Traditionally we often view the faith of the disciples as lacking, and surely it was so; but John's opinion was God loves His children running to Him in troubled times and asking for His help. If they hadn't done so we would never have had that passage in scripture. If they hadn't yelled out for help, we would never have had the testimony of Jesus's saving, His commanding the storms  to calm down. As Christians we know storms will come, there will be tempests wild and strong and most often taking all the wind out of our sails but it is in those storms we know Christ is the Rock on which we stand, it is in those storms we find ourselves relying on a Savior, it is in those rocking unstable moments we truly find what we are made up of. It is clearly in those moments  we get to show the DNA of Christ brightly displayed and reflected in our character. 


I am reading through Max Lucado's new book 'Fearless'. I love his writing style and in the very first chapter he talks about the boat in the storm story of Mathew 8. Max describes the scene: "The disciples scream; Jesus dreams; Thunder roars; Jesus Snores; He doesn't doze, catnap, or rest. He slumbers. Could you sleep at a time like this?".  What I learn from the episode here is - yes a healthy doze of physical fear is good but we are not to allow it to shape or have it stay with us forever especially in life's tough moments. Max puts it beautifully when he says "When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life. Can the safety lover do anything great at all?" 


It is the hidden issues of our hearts that Jesus comes to liberate, in the story we see first Jesus address's their storm and then asks them the question "Where is your faith?" Like aren't you suppose to know who is in your boat; aren't you suppose to know who is with you. This point may be an antithesis to my first para but the point I want to make is simple  we got to know "He that is is with us..Is greater than he that is in the world". Hence Christ's  directives throughout the gospels and the scriptures "Do not fear" or "Be of Good courage". Yes -these are perilous times, and these are times to run to the safest anchor, the strongest God, the Savior of us all but these are times to know that we war with the Captain of Hosts against 'fear' and captivity that takes the freedom of men. Let us always know He handles all great quaking's with a great calming.


We are created to be fearless and the only fear we are to have is the Holy Fear of the Lord. 


Blessings & Shalom,


Sam Kurien