Take a Nap
Jesus was a busy guy. Everywhere Jesus went, he poured himself into the lives of the people around him. Jesus was fully God and fully man. Jesus had supernatural abilities, but was also confounded to the limitations that we face. My point is, Jesus got tired. Jesus needed a break from people sometimes. And that is okay. Like Jesus, we can take a nap.
Mark 4 shows Jesus busy teaching and doing miracles all day. Jesus wants to get away. Let’s pick up the story in verse 35. Jesus told his disciples, “Let us go to the other side.” Have you ever wanted to get away from it all and relax? Jesus did. This day must have been a beautiful day as we see other boats with the boat that Jesus and his disciples were on (verse 36). Jesus is tired so he decides to go to sleep “on a cushion.” I love how specific the bible gets on that point that Jesus was sleeping on a cushion. Jesus was tired and wanted to relax.
Next scene there is a storm. “A furious squall came up on the boat” is how the NIV puts it. This storm must have been unlike any other storm the experienced fishermen have seen. They were genuinely scared. You can see the panic on their faces as they cry out to Jesus, “Teacher, don’t you care that we drown?” (Verse 38).
What Jesus did next was completely awesome. Jesus stood up, rebuked the wind and the waves. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Jesus then spoke a mic into existence and dropped it. Scripture doesn’t mention this happening, but it was definitely a drop-mic moment.
We have to understand the frustration in Jesus’ response to the disciple’s question. The man was trying to take a nap. I don’t know about you, but I am groggy and cranky when I get up from a good nap. You can hear the frustration in Jesus’ words, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Verse 40) This was more than a reaction from Jesus’ exhaustion, but it was a genuine disappointment with the disciple’s lack of faith. What Jesus was saying was that the disciples could have rebuked the wind and the waves if they had enough faith. Jesus would have never let them drown. The disciples simply did not believe that truth.
What about you? Do you trust with every facet of your life? Giving up control of our lives is something we have a hard time doing. The concept of making Jesus Lord of our lives is a foreign concept today. Most of us do not have to bow down to a king or queen. But that is what God wants from us. God wants us to make him King. He wants our complete devotion and reverence. If you haven’t already made Jesus Lord of your life, there is no better moment that right now. The only time we can follow God is right now, in this moment. We cannot say we follow God tomorrow, because tomorrow will never come. Following Jesus is not a one-time event, it is a lifelong commitment. Trust God today and give Him complete control of your life.
One of the hardest things I have to do in life is sleep. Allow me to explain. Sometimes, my mind is so preoccupied with worries and distractions that I have trouble sleeping. Can you relate to this? Our faith in God is evident when we can relax and enjoy the moment. When you take a Sabbath rest and do nothing, it is fulfilling God’s command in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” God rested on the seventh day of creation and established the Sabbath for our benefit. He is calling us to take a nap and rest in HIm.
God has a great plan for your life. We need to daily trust Him with everything we have going on. When life gets busy and you’re stressed out, take a step of faith and take a nap. It is difficult to trust God with every detail of your life. Do your best, and then take a nap. And trust God with the rest.