Are You In?

“And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.” (Mark‬ ‭4:36‬)

This verse always threw me a little bit, what did they mean “just as he was”? To me, that meant that He was enough, the disciples knew who Jesus was and that was enough for them. But I felt like there was more and I wanted to understand why God included this tiny detail. So when this verse came up in my Bible study a few weeks back, I asked how the other women in my study understood it and the answer I got changed everything.

A wise woman then told us a story about a season of her life where things were going terribly wrong. She cried out to God asking Him for some sort of lamplight to guide her through the seemingly insurmountable storm in front of her, and God led her to Mark 4:36

That’s it God? Okay I get it, You’re enough. I know that. How does that help me?

“Read it again” God whispered to her heart, so she did. Again and again, until suddenly it clicked. God was asking her if she wanted to be in His boat.

The disciples took Jesus into their boat not only because they knew that he was enough, but also because they were willing to go with him...wherever he went.

Whatever that looked like. Whatever they lost. Whatever storms came their way. They knew that as long as Jesus was in their boat, it was enough.

It says there were other boats with them and they may have been close to Jesus, but he was not steering their ship.

Sometimes we can drift just close enough to Jesus, trusting him with certain things in our life...but not THAT thing. We’d rather stay in our own boat and drive it, with Jesus just close enough in sight in case we need him

But what if He is inviting us to more?

What if he is asking us, EVEN IF that thing happens, that person leaves you, that sickness takes them, that job fires you, that fear happens...Will you still get in His boat?

Will we still trust in His leading, even when it takes us over stormy seas? Will we still trust in His character, even when our circumstances seem to say otherwise?

Will we get into the boat with Jesus, no matter where it leads? Is He enough, just as He is?