Mark 4:35-41 always encourages me to take a fresh look at life and at what God has called me to. The story starts with Jesus’ disciples sailing across the Sea of Galilee, a lake really, and a storm coming up. Jesus was asleep in the bow of the boat so the disciples woke him up to calm the storm.
But, did you notice what Jesus said before they ever set sail and before there was a storm? He said, “Let us go over to the other side.” Jesus set the course to go to the other side of the lake. His call on the disciples was to take him there.
Jesus didn’t say, “Let us try to go over to the other side.” He didn’t say, “Let’s hope we can make it over to the other side.” He sure didn’t say, “Let’s go out in the lake and get swamped by a storm and die.” He told the disciples they were going to the other side of the lake. Maybe that’s why Jesus was comfortable enough to sleep during the storm. He was comfortable with the calling he had on the disciples to get to the other side.
How many of us forget that Jesus calls us to the other side of the lake? We forget that he doesn’t call us to fail; he calls us and equips us to succeed! I need to remember that all the time; maybe you do too. He’s called us to go to the other side of the lake, through any storms that might arise. He’s comfortable with that calling so maybe we think he’s forgotten us and he’s fallen asleep. The truth is though, that we need to walk in his calling on us and not fear the storms.
