The story of Jonah came to mind as I thought about this email. God gave Jonah specific instructions, but he chose otherwise. And, disobedience has consequences: Jonah went through a tumultuous storm and ended up in the belly of a fish. Interestingly, problems often arise when our will or priorities supersede God’s. The storms of life are God’s gentle reminder that we need to come back to him.
Thoughts like these challenged me to look at today’s text a bit differently. Here’s a question for you: how did the disciples know about the storm? Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat, and had they been with Him, they wouldn’t have known about the storm. But they weren’t, and just like Jonah, they ran into a storm. Whenever we lose intimacy (closeness) with God, then the peace we enjoy evaporates. Restored peace, however, is as easy as coming back to God. When the disciples went back to Jesus, everything calmed down.
Maybe the madness you’re experiencing is a sign that you’ve abandoned God. If so, then consider this thought I obtained from a church sign: “No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace.” Come back to God, and watch things calm down in your life.
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest – Jesus (Matthew 11:28, New Living Translation)