Cacophony Of Life

Mark 4

[35] Now the same day when even was come, he said unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. [36] And they left the multitude, and took him as he was in the ship, and there were also with him other little ships. [37] And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves dashed into the ship, so that it was now full. [38] And he was in the stern asleep on a pillow: and they awoke him, and said to him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? [39] And he rose up, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, and be still. So the wind ceased, and it was a great calm. [40] Then he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? [41] And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who is this, that both the wind and sea obey him?

Mark 4:35-41 GNV

For sometime after my wife died nearly every night when I would ro k my granddaughter to sleep her favorite story for me to read was "The Captain Of The Storm", this part of the life of Jesus with His disciples as told in The Jesus Storybook Bible. I didn't realize at the time how much I needed to read it, but probably wouldn't have if she didn't want it read night after night.

So it was good for me now to read again., and remember. And now with many events in my life moving forward in the last year emphasized in the last four months (didn't realize it had been so long) a cacophony of activities that might rival the winds and the waves dashing into my ship so that it seems almost full. For myself of major impact to me is at work we have completely changed our whole construction software. As bookkeeper I have had a great amount of the details to make it work with our accounting software. As the phrase often used is, I need to take ownership of it. That ownership comes with a great price, that of not getting answers from support, not having a good understanding of the interface the previous software had (beside the employee who had implemented the previous software having just left just before switching to the new software), and getting a better grip on the overall understanding of how our small company uses it all. So yes, I have that sense that my ship is filled with water and I'm about to perish. And it feels like Jesus is asleep right there (at times). And yes, too, a cacophony of life besides all this

When thestorm is upon you and your own ship is full and you're at the point of perishing you typically don't think of the other little ships around you enduring the same storm. And nothing is said of how many of the others ships there were and they also were saved when Jesus said, Peace, and be still. Jesus only spoke to the disciples of their faith. What Jesus did affected all the little ships, the same as the one the disciples were in with Him But the lesson Jesus had for the disciples only. And this was much like the feeding of the five thousand. It was only a lesson for the disciples, but that lesson involved thousands of people. Jesus knew what He was going to do, but wanted the disciples to gain a lesson from it.

Here in Mark 4 Jesus had just spoken parables about seeds growing. As part of the parable He had said the seeds began to grow and the one who planted didn't know how they grew. As Jesus spoke to His disciples in the ship He asked, Why are you so fearful? Wherefore did you doubt? And it simply comes down to growing, but not knowing how. Jesus was just doing a growth check. When the people came seeking Jesus after the feeding of tge five thousand He called them out that they weren't seeking Him, they just wanted to be fed again. But after the feeding of tge five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand Jesus had told the disciples to, Beware the leaven of the Pharisees. They them speculated if Jesus was getting after them for not bringing bread with them Jesus had to remind them of the feeding of thousands and thousands for them to get it through their heads, and hearts, that He was speaking of the doctrine of the Pharisees, and not physical bread.

And so when I feel overwhelmed and my ship is about to sink, oh that I would remember that He is here with me. Whether Peter sinking because he saw the waves instead of keeping focused on Jesus, or needing to recognize from windstorm and earthquake that the Lord will speak in a still, quiet voice, or huddled away in a small room for fear, and suddenly Jesus is there, He's not a ghost, but indeed the resurrected Christ.

Lord, help me not to let my cacophony of life be so overwhelming that I become fearful, that I would doubt. May I remember it is not how I live that keeps me, only the one who I trust who is living in me.