Page 58 - Back to Bethlehem 2-5-19

Jesus was sleeping in the storm; God was at rest. The disciples
were not resting. I’m going to describe faith as many people
think it is. They think that faith is coming to the end of yourself.

Matthew 8:2, “And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying,
‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” They came to the end of
themselves. They said, “We can’t handle it! We need Jesus!”
Some people think that faith is not only coming to the end of
me but it’s rolling everything on Jesus. They woke Him up.
Some think faith is coming to the end of me, giving it to Jesus
and then getting out of the way and letting God work. Matthew
8:26, “And He said to them, ‘Why are you timid, you men of
little faith?’ Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea;
and it became perfectly calm.” Jesus stood on the deck and
calmed the storm.

It looks like He should have given them applause, “Well done;
you have come to the end of yourselves and you gave it to Jesus
and you got out of the way.” But what do we read? They got
rebuked for little faith. Matthew 8:26, “And He said to them,
‘Why are you timid, you men of little faith?’” In Mark 4 he
said, “You have no faith.” What is faith, if it’s not coming to
the end of myself and giving it to Jesus and getting out of the
way? May God help us to understand this! Faith is letting Jesus
sleep! They did not have to wake Him.

Was He in more control when He was standing on the deck with
His arms stretched out, when it looked like He was unconscious
and unaware? I’ll confess, nobody wakes Jesus more than I do!
He’s so tender and He is so patient with us and I don’t have to
wake Him. He knows what He is doing. Everything that comes
into my life, He is satisfied with. What I need is to let Him
sleep and believe that He has a plan and He has the skill and He
has the control and He has a heart that loves me and if I mess
up He’ll start again. Rest is being satisfied that He is satisfied.
Not only is He satisfied with everything He has already done
but He’s satisfied with everything He is doing.