In Mark 4:36-41 Jesus instructs his disciples to climb into a boat with him to travel “to the other side” of the lake.  While they do so a great windstorm blows up so that the disciples become extremely frightened while Jesus calmly sleeps on a cushion in the back of the boat.  As the boat is taking on water the disciples wake Jesus asking him if he doesn’t care that they are perishing.  Jesus proceeds to rebuke the wind and the rain so there is a dead calm upon the waters.  He then turns to his stunned disciples-“who is He that even the wind and the rain obey him?”-and asks, “Why are you afraid?  Have you still no faith?”

A good question.  So why are we still afraid?  Have we no faith?  Many decades ago I threw in my lot with Jesus giving my life to him.  That meant my future, all my days, whatever they might be were now devoted to serving him to his glory.  I fully trusted his promise and commitment to never leave me, never abandon me—to always be with me even to the end of the age.  (Matthew 28:20)  So basically I have thrown in with Jesus, we’re in the boat of life together.  In a real sense we are in the boat of eternity together.  So what do I have to fear?  ALL my days, my moments—my eternal future—is secure with Jesus right alongside me.  I find this frees me.  It liberates me from anything in this present age that would attempt to thwart me from being all that Christ is calling me to be in him.  Nothing should intimidate me or even slow me down in giving all of me to the work I am called to do in his Kingdom.  Jesus and me—and you—we’re in the boat together.  So what do we have to fear?