Rest

Luke 8:22-25

Jesus Calms the Storm

 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
   He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
   In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

I have noticed I sometimes live in a way where I treat Jesus as some sort of "Christian genie". I'm leading a live that revolves around me and my plans. I grab Jesus periodically and I pull him into my life so he can arrange it the way I think it needs to be arranged. 

Jesus is in the boat with his disciples. He is asleep when a "great storm" arises. Storm gets calmed it almost ends great till Jesus questions their faith. Why?

Because he became their "genie".

To me this passage says, leave the chaos. Go rest quietly with Jesus. (He's sleeping, that's how bothered he was by the storm, he was not unaware of it) Therefore making him center. I'm leaving what I have perceived life and who God should be. I am going to match my heart rate with his and literally nestle up with him, rather than grab Him, pull Him into my mess and say "fix all of this so my heart rate goes down."

What causes us to rest? Is it circumstances in life or is it Jesus Christ?

I know it's Jesus but how do I allow this intimacy?

It requires a recognition that my rest, my fulfillment, my peace in life is not contingent to my circumstances. Rest, fulfillment and peace is found in resting in the "hull of the boat" with Jesus, especially in the middle of a storm.

Even in that image of laying next to Jesus resting, how easy is it to "nudge" him in my anxiousness and wonder when we're done "resting". He's just saying, "rest". As soon as I attain this posture I am in the center with Jesus, no longer on the outside calling him out to my storm and chaos. When I'm resting I can hear his heartbeat.

Rest is only found in the hull of the boat.

Everything is contingent upon the the time I rest, listen and take instruction.

Passivity before him.

Rest. Rest. Rest in God's love. The only work you are required now to do is to give your most intense attention to His still, small voice.

 Madame Jeanne Guyon