BIBLE READING

Mark 4: 35-39

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Mark 5: 1

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.

REFLECTION

In Mark 5: 1 we read: “They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.”

They got across the lake eventually. They got to the other side.

How long did it take? We don’t know. But the point is, they got there, they got to where they needed to be.

How did they get there? Better questions to ask might be:

What do you do when you’re in the middle of the water in a storm?

What do you do when everything that worked before no longer seems to be working for you? When you’ve tried everything you know to try, and you’re getting nowhere?

What do you do, when you’re not where you were before, but you’re not where you want to be?

When you know you can never go back, but you’ve no idea how to move forward?

What do you do in the meantime?

The meantime is that time between leaving where you were and getting to where you’re supposed to be. We don’t like the meantime. We prefer the highlights. Why watch 90 minutes of a football match, when you can watch the highlights in 30 minutes? That way you cut out all the meantime. You get to see just the good bits. But I've found that a lot of life is spent in the meantime.

You’ve left your job or been made redundant left his job - but you haven’t found another job yet. What do you do in the meantime?

You’ve stepped out of a relationship that you knew wasn’t right for you – but you haven’t met anyone else yet. What do you do in the meantime?

You’re trying to change, you’ve moved on from something in your past, but you haven’t got to where you want to be yet, you still keep falling, slipping up. What do you so in the meantime?

How do we get to the other side when we’re stuck in the meantime?

In this story, as far as I can see there was just one thing they did to get to the other side, only one thing.

Do you know what it was:

They stayed in the boat.

That’s the only thing I can see, they stayed in the boat. They didn’t jump ship, they didn’t give up, bail out, pack it all in. They just stayed in the boat.

When you’re in the storm, and all you can see around you is wind and waves and darkness and chaos – stay in the boat.

How long will I have to stay in for? How long will it take to get to the other side? I’ve no idea. Hours, days, weeks, months, years.

Whatever it is, stay in the boat. Don’t give up, don’t give in.

Gal 6:9 says this:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

It will happen – if you don’t give up.

If you’ve been praying for the sick, and nothing seems to be happening – don’t give up, stay in the boat.

If you’ve been trying to get breakthrough in some area of your life, and nothing is shifting – don’t give up, stay in the boat.

If you’ve been waiting on God to keep one of His promises you know He has made you, and He seems to be doing nothing – don’t give up, stay in the boat.

If you’ve done all you know how to do, and prayed all the prayers you know how to pray – don’t give up, stay in the boat.

If Jesus has told you to go to the other side – be completely confident of one thing today - Jesus will get you to the other side.