Luke 8:22-25 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

Four in this series, seeking ten devotionals. Our focus falls upon “jeopardy”.

Is it fate or destiny? I came to the conclusion last night that the difference between the two is attitude. He suffered the same fate sounds right. He suffered the same destiny doesn’t sound right. Maybe it is just a matter of semantics but perceptions are determined by attitude.

Here we have twelve men in a boat that feared they would share the same fate as Jesus if they did not get Him to change the circumstances. It wasn’t Jesus’ destiny to die in that boat. Circumstances changed their attitude. They no longer felt their fate was tied to Jesus. He would survive because He was after all the anointed one, the Christ, the Son of God. They feared because they knew they were replaceable.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

I know that it does not sound like a blessing to suffer the same fate as Jesus. If our identity is to be found in Christ, then that is what will happen. Our attitude however should not be one of seeing our fate but rather in sharing His destiny. He was destined to be the first of The Resurrection, perfected human form, incorruptible, eternal, Holy and reunited with the Father.

It is fate by faith.

Luke 8:22-25 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

Three in this series, seeking ten devotionals. Our focus falls upon “he fell asleep”.

Sleep in New Testament terms is often speaking to those who have died and have not yet been resurrected. It also refers to men who have failed to do as they are asked. That example is found in the garden of Gethsemane where Peter, John and James were found asleep not once but twice after Jesus had asked them to stand watch.

Look what happened on the boat. They woke the master crying out to be saved. In this example I see a prevailing attitude among men and women of faith today. They cry out as if our Lord is asleep and inactive in our lives. It is as if we think that without our cries, He doesn’t know our distress and that we have to wake Him from a slumber.

Christ did sleep for three days, then He got up and now sits on the throne in eternity, where there is no darkness, there is no sleep, and all this He knows because He sits on the right hand of the throne, the seat of power and authority. In that position, He sleeps not.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (esv)

Living and active, not asleep.