Cry Out in a CrisisSample

And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Mark 4: 36

Do we sometimes just take Jesus along for the ride?

Perhaps I’m reading too much into these words from the passage today. Perhaps it’s extrapolation. But, sometimes, do we just say, “Fine, God, I’ll obey you, but just come along and don’t interfere?” Do we just take Him with us? Or do we allow Him to steer the boat?

Whatever they were thinking or feeling, the disciples took Jesus with them on the boat that evening.

And then came the winds, the rain, and the waves.

The boat starts to flood with water.

The fact that the boat was filling with water implies that the storm was going on for a while. After all, it wasn’t with the first gust of wind or the first wave that the boat started to sink. Many of the disciples were seasoned fishermen. Did they think they could handle the storm by themselves? They didn't wake Jesus up until their very lives were in danger—did they first try to be the heroes of their own story? Maybe they saw Jesus as a great teacher—but he was a carpenter’s son, not a fisherman!

Finally, as the boat takes on water, the disciples realize that their skills and years of experience are no match for the furious storm. And they call on Jesus.

Let’s stop a minute and consider our response to the storms we face. What’s our instinctive reaction? Is it to turn to God first? Or is He a last resort, an afterthought in a crisis? Are we so accustomed to relying on our own resources, our own connections, our own experience and skills, money, and influence that we sometimes sail along thinking, “I’ve got this"? Do we wait till the ship is sinking, till there is no other hope, to turn to Jesus?

The storms reveal our insufficiency. The storms reveal that we need Jesus–not as a tag-along in the boat, but to steer us through our helplessness.

At that moment, when the waves threaten to engulf us, we realize that we can’t cling to our bank accounts, our degrees, our experience, or our resources. We can only cling to our Savior.