Savage2Saint Sobriety Jan. 26, 2024

"And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships." - Mark 4:36 (KJV).

When the ship left the shore, the disciples of Jesus had no idea of the impact this voyage was going to have on them and the rest of the world for the next 2,000 years. Mark 4:36-41, is the Gospel of Mark's account of Jesus calming the storm with the words, "Peace, be still." (Mark 4:39). The disciples' faith was tested when the ship started taking in water and they began fearing that they were not going to make it. What started out as smooth sailing, quickly turned to what felt like a near-death experience for the disciples. Were they ever really in danger? Not with Jesus on board.

For disciples of Jesus Christ, new and old, life won't always be smooth sailing. We will encounter storms, of varying degrees, periodically throughout our lives. No matter how high the waves get, no matter how bad the storm is, knowing that Jesus is in the boat, riding out the storm is all we will ever need. So why do we go through storms like this?

I want to draw your attention to the second half of Mark 4:36, "And there were also with him other little ships." Jesus had just finished preaching from a boat to the masses standing on the shore. Some of the people were there to become one of Jesus' followers. Others had brought sick loved ones who needed healing. But there were those who were only there to see Jesus perform a miracle with no intention of taking up their cross and following Him. To entertain their curiosity. 1st century paparazzi! I have no way of knowing what the intentions of the people in the "other little ships" were, but I do know that during and after the storm these ships were no longer mentioned. When the going got tough, they got going...the other direction!

Sometimes we need to go through a storm. Sometimes there are people hanging around our life that do not have our backs. They say they do, but as soon as you go through a tough time or start struggling, these so-called friends are nowhere to be found. They are usually friends you have helped out in the past but when the roles get reversed they become ghosts! They are usually the very people you know you don't need around but you don't have the heart to tell them to get lost. You're living for God and your life is starting to be restored. These people see the work that God is doing in your life but they don't want to put the same effort in that you have to make the change! You have a car, they need a ride. You have a job, they need to borrow money. You have a house, they need a place to stay. Shevon and I deal with this on a weekly basis. Trying to find the balance between helping those in need, which is our Christian duty, and getting rid of the smaller ships in our life can be tough.

Here's one way of handling the smaller ships: invite them to church. One sure way to test the waters is to test the level of commitment from the person in need. If they won't attend a church service with you, then they will most definitely be gone when they can't use you anymore. If these people truly want help, then it's not you they need. They need Jesus! He will most definitely do for them the same thing He's done for you if they will just get in the right boat and make Jesus the Captain of their life!

Storms and people come and go, but Jesus will always be there to ride out the storm with us! When you get right, some people get left! Not every storm you go through is because You are being tested. Sometimes God has us go through storms to get rid of the little ships in our life that we don't have the strength to say goodbye to. Remember this verse from Romans 8:28, " And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (KJV). ALL things work together for good, even the storms.