Saturday, November 12, 2005

Is God Awake?



Some of us grew up with a belief that said, “If I don’t get that final prayer asking forgiveness in before I die, I’ll be lost.”  We were so focused on what WE needed to do that we believed that our salvation depended on us doing the right things.

Mankind has seemed to struggle with another similar misconception concerning the power of God in our lives – thinking that we have to get God’s attention, wake him up, in order for him to be aware of our circumstances and take action to help us.  This misconception is as old as man’s relationship with God.

Take a look at the situation in Mark 4:35-41.  This is the time when Jesus was in the boat with the disciples when a storm arose.  Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat.  Frantically, they woke Jesus, asking, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?”  After quieting the winds and the waves, Jesus asked them, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still not have faith in me?”

Before I judge the faith of the disciples and find them lacking, I need to recall all of the times I’ve been in the midst of a storm and reacted the same way, feeling I had to get God’s attention so that he would help me.  I’m afraid I’m a lot more like the disciples than I’d like to be.  I still cling to this notion that receiving God’s help depends on me taking action.

Protection from the storm for the disciples didn’t depend on them waking Jesus up – that’s why he questioned their faith.  His protection of them was always present, even while he was asleep.  He was just waiting.  Likewise, our protection from our storms doesn’t depend on waking God up.  His help and protection are always present, even when we aren’t awake to get his attention.  His power doesn’t depend on us.

God knows our needs before we do.  He’s active and at work before we know we need help.

Our prayers asking His help and protection are a response we give to knowing that He is already working in our lives, not an action to awake him to get him to give attention to our situation.  Our prayers about the storms in our lives need to be prayers of faith and thanksgiving for his constant power and attention, as well as requests for his help and protection.  Our prayers need to be more about acknowledging his presence and power, rather than in panic wondering if He’s aware and working.

Know that He is God.