Matthew Study 8:24

"... suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves..."

What is it in us that keeps us waiting to awake our Jesus until we are desperate;y overwhelmed, nearly drowning amidst the storm-waves washing across our bows and into our sinking hearts?

Our self sufficiency and silly belief that we have control over any given situation has everything to do with that. We say, I've been here before, I can do it again. (True, however, this storm is different from the others, we may concede.) All the same, no need not bother the Master about this.

So the seasoned fishermen ferry on. O sure, they know all the potential risks. But, after all, they've been on this Lake many times.

Yet this tempest arises to such an extent that it's claws reach over the boundaries of their hull and saturates their safe places with the tides of the Shadows of Death. It is only then when their oars of pride drop and they awake the Lord (who has been there all along.... just waiting...) and cry out, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"

Finally!

Perhaps he was sleeping with one eye open, wondering how long it would take. Perhaps he was a bit miffed - wondering why they hadn't called on him at the first sign of the oncoming tempest. Who knows? The Creator rises and rebukes both Creation and his Image in Creation. The ocean he calms. Their faith he questions.

"Why are you so fearful?" This isn't a slam against their spiritual integrity, like a, "You should have known better" statement. This is God's care for us. "My dear one, you don't have to live in fear - especially fear like this. You could have called out to me when you first got in trouble and I would have bailed you out right then and there! Why did you wait so long?"

As we continue sailing along with the Lord, let's be quick to remember that he is in the boat -there, amidst the tossing and turning, waiting and anxious to  intervene - and will do so at our first cry, even when things aren't quite that bad. As a mother meets the first cry of her newborn, so does he rise to rescue us in the sudden tempests of our course. He has an unquestioning compassion for us, and is waiting patiently at the Heart of his Image in us.

Lord, give us the humility to awake you, even in our most experienced trials, with simple child-like faith. I choose to demonstrate my total dependancy upon you in all things.