Putting Jesus At the Front

Recently, when I was preparing to share a message at my church, I read the account of Jesus calming the wind and waves in Mark 4.  While meditating on the passage, one sentence stood out as if the Lord was highlighting it in large, bold letters.  In verse 36 of the account, the Bible says, “And other little boats were also with Him”.  Although this seems like an innocent, non-important sentence, I began to realize it had significant meaning to the lives of Christians today.  As an aside, I believe that everything in the Bible is placed there for a purpose, therefore it is important for us to never dismiss any portion of it.  Do you agree?
 
When Jesus and the Disciples began this journey “to the other side”, the winds were calm, and the waves were not an issue.  That is when the “other little boats” began to accompany Him.  Once the storm hit, the Bible never mentions the “other little boats”.  When you think about it, this same scenario happens in the lives of many Christians.  When you are doing well and succeeding, many people want to “go along for the ride”.  Many will tell you they will be your friend and support you through thick and thin but once the “storm” hits, you may not be able to find them!  This happens all too often but do not worry, you still have “One who sticks closer than a brother”!
 
When life’s storms present themselves, we must learn to lean on Jesus because He is our shelter and our “strong tower”.  The Disciples were slow to realize they needed to include Jesus in their storms.  In Mark 4, we see that Jesus is asleep at the back of the boat.  The Disciples were doing the “laboring” by themselves.  They believed they could handle it until the point came where they realized they couldn’t handle the situation.  Because the situation had become life-threatening, they decided it was time to “let Jesus on the scene”.  When they pleaded for His help and allowed Him to be at the forefront, He calmed the winds and the waves.  The storm dissipated.
 
When reading this passage, I realized it spoke to my life and the lives of many others.  We must remember that people will fail and abandon us at times, but Jesus never will.  Additionally, we must remember that Jesus should be forefront in each of our lives so when the storm tries to arise, He can say, “Peace, Be Still!”  Are you ready for peace in your life?  Will you give Jesus control in your life and in your decisions?  If so, let Him remain at the “front of the boat” and watch His peace permeate throughout your life!