Void Is Not An Option

A friend of mine told me Sunday that God's word never returns void. Then another friend of mine told me later that day that God's presence and power are inseparable. Fast forward to this evening. I've just sent out the cg email and God's asking me to let Him tell me a story. I love a good storyteller and He just happens to be the best one I know so I'm ok with staying up past my bedtime with Him.

So I flip open my Bible, and the story my Bible opens to is Luke 8:22-25. My bible titles it "Jesus Calms The Storm:"

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

Having been raised in church, I've heard this story many times. I've colored the coloring sheet of Jesus raising His hand out to calm the storm. I've seen the puppet skit of the ship and the rough waters made out of cardboard. But tonight I saw a couple of different things.

One, it's His idea to go to the other side of the lake. Not theirs. Two, the disciples do what He suggests. They don't wait for confirmation or second guess what He's just told them. Three, the storm is so bad they were in "great danger." Not a storm to scare them, but a storm to take them out. Four, the disciples don't call Him to help until they are in "great danger." Why didn't they call Him at the first sign of it?

Hmm. I do love the way He tells a story...