WHY I STOPPED SCREAMING AT JESUS FOR SLEEPING IN MY STORM

The context as to my thoughts today are found in Matthew 8:8:23 As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ¹ 8:24 And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat. But he was asleep. 8:25 So they came ² and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!” 8:26 But ³ he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked ⁴ the winds and the sea, ⁵ and it was dead calm. 8:27 And the men ⁶ were amazed and said, ⁷ “What sort of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!” ⁸

You will find the cross references for this passage in Mark 4:35-41 and Luke 8:22-25. Have you ever felt like screaming at God for not taking action when you thought He should have? Of course you have, everybody does. You may not scream in front of people, but deep down in your being or when you are alone, you holler at God with this phrase-God do something or I am a dead man. I have found myself looking at God in the midst of my storm, wondering, how could He possibly be silent at this moment? How could Jesus possibly be inactive in this time of turmoil in my life? Life has been puzzling to me of late and a family death has reminded me of how bumpy the sea of living can be and how unexpectant events can occur out of the blue.

Like the Sea of Galilee, life on terra ferma can encounter a storm when one least expects it. The point I driving at is this, how can I come to understand the circumstances occurring and remain calm, cool and collective. But more to the point, I’m thinking, why isn’t God just as upset as me? Isn’t this the situation in the disciples boat-Jesus, how can you be sleeping at a time like this! Can’t you see, don’t you care, what is it going to take to appreciate the gravity of our situation?! You are shouting Amen, I know.
However, this type of reaction on my part or those disciples in the boat, was off base. Why? they were asking the wrong questions- They shouldn’t have been screaming at Jesus- “Help us, don’t you see our trouble, our trial, our heartache?” “Do you not care we are about to perish? ” The questions should have been, “How can we be so bent out of shape when we have the Master in our boat?” Putting it more personal-”How can I be so discouraged over the way things are going in my life when God orders my steps?” I can tell you from personal experience that my life after Bible School did not go the way I expected, But, then, who placed me in the middle of my storm? Who knows all things, controls all things and who will protect me no matter what? I ended up in Rochester, New York by divine providence, not by choice. Which means? God planted me here. He knew my choice was to go back to Canada after Bible School, but, He saw fit to arrange things differently. When I came to Rochester, I had no money, no job, no ministry, no home, just the clothes on my back and a new wife. I was separated from my family, from all my familiar surroundings and was called to live by faith. In the beginning all of this swept me off my feet. It overwhelmed me to the point where I started to scream at my “sleeping Jesus” in my boat of life, only to hear Him say, “O ye of little faith, be still storm and it went away.” Then; He opened doors of employment, speeded the process of my green card and gave me a surrogate family that loved me as one of their own. Not once did He let me down. But; I was far too busy looking at the waves, listening to the howling winds and watching my boat beginning to sink instead of rejoicing my Jesus was in the boat with me and working all things for my good. Romans 8:28
So when I feel those screaming fits coming on because of stormy ocean, I begin to recall He placed me in it, but, not to be in it alone. He’s ever with me. My eyes cannot be on the storm, but, on the One who controls the storm. He’s the Master of the sea and the winds and they obey His voice. So, if I am going to scream anything from now on, it will be- Great Is Thy Faithfulness, O God My Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not, Great is Thy Faithfulness Lord unto me.