They looked everywhere but Mary and Joseph couldn’t find the young Lord Jesus.  They thought He was with them.   How different the day would have been if they had decided to stay with Jesus.

One time Jesus got into a boat and said: “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.”  (Luke 8:22).  While they sailed, a storm arose and the waves that hit the boat began to fill the little ship with water.  Jesus had fallen asleep so they woke him up.  He stood up, rebuked the wind and there was a great calm.   His question to the disciples was “Where is your faith.”  A bit harsh? I’m with the disciples. Safety gear wasn’t invented and buoyancy was limited.   Finally, they reach the safety of Gerasenes on the other side, and Jesus delivers a man with a legion of demons.

When we read this story, we usually see the disciples on a journey but accompanied by the Master, but of course, the main character in the Gospels is Jesus.  It is Jesus that is crossing over to work on the other side of the lake.  It is not the disciple’s idea; it is His. It was not their purpose, it was His.  It is not their mission, it was His.  He had invited the disciples to go along with Him.  Today still, He seeks to set captives free and invites us to join Him in His mission.  Comfort comes from knowing that Jesus is with us but the believer’s effectiveness and safety come from us being with Him. The church is not on a mission to love the world, inviting Jesus to come with us but He is on a mission to restore the earth and he invites us to partner with Him, as His body. Through us, as we are led by him, He is touching people and we are witnesses of Him and His work. Of course “As they went, the Lord worked with them,” because it was His work.

When He asked, “Where is your faith?” He thought they would understand that if the boat trip didn’t originate with them, the safety and effectiveness of the trip, didn’t depend on them either.  Our confidence is because He asked us into His boat, not that we invited Him into ours.

Each day let’s accept the Lords invitation to His Mission, then when storms from the enemy come into our lives we can say “Lord, I’m on the mission with you. This is a journey You started, so this is a storm that either You or both of us can fix!” And friend, if we have got into His boat, it is never going to sink.