Eyes on the Father

[MajestyJo]

Eyes on the Father

By Max Lucado


When the restaurant waiter brings you
a cold hamburger and a hot soda,
you want to know who is in charge.
When a young fellow wants to
impress his girlfriend,
he takes her down to the
convenience store where he works
and boasts,
"Every night from five to ten o'clock,
I'm in charge."
We know what it means to be
in charge of a restaurant or a store,
but to be in charge of the universe?
This is the claim of Jesus.

There are many examples of
Jesus' authority,
but I'll just mention one
of my favorites.
Jesus and the disciples are in a boat
crossing the Sea of Galilee.
A storm arises suddenly,
and what was placid becomes violent-
monstrous waves rise out of the sea
and slap the boat.
Mark describes it clearly:
"A furious squall came up,
and the waves broke over the boat,
so that it was nearly swamped"
(Mark 4:37 NIV).


It's very important that you
get an accurate picture,
so I'm going to ask you to
imagine yourself in the boat.
It's a sturdy vessel but no match
for these ten-foot waves.
It plunges nose first
into the wall of water.
The force of the waves dangerously tips
the boat until the bow seems to be
pointing straight at the sky,
and just when you fear
flipping over backward,
the vessel pitches forward into
the valley of another wave.
A dozen sets of hands join yours
in clutching the mast.
All your shipmates have wet heads
and wide eyes.
You tune your ear for a calming voice,
but all you hear are screams and prayers.
All of a sudden it hits you-
someone is missing.
Where is Jesus?
He's not at the mast.
He's not grabbing the edge.
Where is he?
Then you hear something-a noise …
a displaced sound …
as if someone is snoring.
You turn and look,
and there curled in the stern
of the boat is Jesus, sleeping!

You don't know whether to
be amazed or angry,
so you're both.
How can he sleep at a time like this?
Or as the disciples asked,
"Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
(Mark 4:38 NIV).

The very storm that made the
disciples panic made him drowsy.
What put fear in their eyes
put him to sleep.
The boat was a tomb to the
followers and a cradle to Christ.
How could he sleep through the storm?
Simple-he was in charge of it.


He got up, rebuked the wind
and said to the waves,
"Quiet! Be still!"
Then the wind died down
and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples,
"Why are you so afraid?
Do you still have no faith?"
(Mark 4:39-40 NIV)


Incredible…
Is it any wonder the disciples
were willing to die for Jesus?
Never had they seen such power;
never had they seen such glory.
It was like, well, like the
whole universe was his kingdom.

It's only right that they
declare his authority.
It's only right that we do the same.
And when we do,
we state without question:
The ruler of the universe rules our hearts.

From
For These Tough Times: