Squall is a strange word...

Some of you may have noticed my blogging frenzy I've been in lately. Now that I've settled into school and the weather is getting chilly so I'm spending most of my time inside, I've had time to think over conversations, random thoughts, and struggles of the past few months... These posts I've written and the ones still to come are all inspired from said discussion, thoughts or struggles over this time...

There was once a popular song that said "From a distance God is watching us..."

There are some people who believe God is like that. That He created the Earth and its inhabitants and then just walked away, watching from a distance, observing but not interfering, interested but uncaring.
But I don't believe that at all.

Awhile back I was reading Mark 4, verses 33-41. Crowds have gathered around the waters endge, and Jesus is teaching them from the bow of a fishing boat. He uses parable to teach the crowd, and then, a while later, he teaches his disciples through a living parable.

³³With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. ³⁴He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

³⁵That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." ³⁶Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

⁴¹They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Notice verse 36... Especially how it says "..they took him along, just as he was, in the boat."

When the storms came, Jesus was in the boat with them. In my opinion, it could not be made any more plain: When the storms of life come up, he is "in the boat" with us.

So why doesn't it seem that way? Why does it feel like he's far off, on the shores, watching us struggle?

I think it's because we are focused on the waves, while he is focused on our faith. We are concerned with the material world, what is happening around us, he is concerned with our spirit. When the disciples cried out "don't you care if we drown?" Jesus' reply was "Where is your faith?"

This living parable was teaching the disciples, and us, about faith and trust. Jesus told them to go to the other side, he was in the boat with them. One might say that Jesus used the situation for the trying and the growth of their faith.

This life and this world are temporary. God gave us both. He is able, and has promised to give us a new life, a new heaven, and a new Earth, all based on faith. He cares for us, no doubt, but he priorities are eternal.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your
anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7