When Daddy's On Deck
I've never been in a storm at sea and that's just fine! I've heard the stories. That's enough. Like the ship, some years ago, that was making a transatlantic voyage from Liverpool, England to New York. One night, at a time when most of the passengers were sleeping, the ship was hit suddenly by a "mega" Atlantic storm. The wind and the waves were so violent that at one point they tipped the ship almost on its side, and down below, passengers were thrown out of their bunks. That's really a rude awakening!
In one cabin, a little girl was thrown out of her bed like everyone else. Her mother had already been awakened by the intensity of the storm. There was one thing different though about this particular passenger - her daddy was the captain! Bleary eyed, she asked her mom the only thing she really wanted to know about the situation, "Is daddy on deck?" Her mom said, "Well yes he is , honey." The little girl's response was right to the point, "Then I'm going back to bed."
In Matthew 8:5-13, we find a story of a centurion, a man of authority, who showed great faith in the Lord;
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him. And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
The centurion, not feeling worthy enough to have Christ come into his home, answered and said,
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
When Jesus heard [it], he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Matthew 8:13 concludes;
And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
In this story there's a powerful insight into the kind of faith that Jesus loves - and it gets things done! It says He was marveled...faith that amazes even the Savior! He calls it great faith. Further on in the chapter, He says to the men who are with Him constantly," You of little faith!"
During the storm when they were freaking out, just before Christ "Got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."
Astonished! Why? Because Christ finally found a man who understood the connection between faith and authority. The centurion said, "I say something to my servants and they do it. I have total authority over them. But someone I care about is in a crisis I cannot handle, but you have total authority over this illness. Whatever You say to this illness, it will do."
Faith is acknowledging the total authority of Jesus over any situation. That's what the disciples couldn't do in their storm. They acted as if Jesus did not have authority over the storm, but He did! He spoke to it like a parent would speak to a child...and "it was calm."
The faith issue for us may very well be who or what we believe has the final authority in this situation. Will the company decide it? Will the economy decide it? Is the world going to decide it?
Or is everything in this situation totally under the authority of our Savior, Jesus Christ? Yes or no!
If it is, and you make that your bottom line, the panic is over. The peace that defies logic is kicking in. There's an unexplainable sense of well-being and calm that comes when you settle where the final authority is in this, and the shield of faith will extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Like a little girl blown around by a dangerous storm, all you need to know is if you're "Elder Brother’s On Deck." There's nothing the Lord cannot handle, so you might as well go back to bed. The Lord is in charge!