Marking Time with Mark

“Teacher, don’t you care?” It is the age-old question. Does God really care about us, about our little lives, our messes, our needs? Do you ever wonder if He does?

The disciples had spent the day learning about the Kingdom, how it was going to work, grow, become what God had planted. We see that God uses small things to do large things. He uses good soil, and he cares for that soil so that the plants (us) may grow strong and useful to His work. The disciples sat right there and listened to him share his parables. Not only that but they got the inside scoop, the explanations, the clear message.

So why, only a few hours later would they ask if Jesus cared? Was anything too big for him? Obviously, they needed to see beyond their preconceived notions to the reality. Jesus wasn’t worried, he was asleep. He had no fear. Nothing – nothing was too big for God. His faith as a human, his understanding as part of the Godhead, all combined to make him calm in the midst of the storm.

Not so the disciples. Not so with us. The storms come and, like the disciples, we run crying to Jesus, “Don’t you care?” Don’t you care that my child is sick? Don’t you care that I can’t pay my bills? Don’t you care that our church is struggling? Don’t you care that our world is a mess? Don’t you care?

And he says to the wind, and he says to us, “Quiet, be still” (vs. 39). Not so that everything will change in an instant, but so that our hearts can hear him speaking, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). BE STILL. We are so often too busy to hear, too busy to be quiet, too busy to know that he cares for us. He cares about our storms and he speaks.

What is your storm today? Be still and wait on the Lord. Listen for his voice reminding you to quiet down and have faith because he cares.