³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38 ESV)

This morning I was woken up by an early morning work problem call. The call was brief, but afterward I could not get back to sleep. My mind started spinning on both work and personal things that were problematic right now.

I should have gone directly to prayer, but instead I let my mind jump from topic to topic unhindered. After getting up, this scripture was part of my morning devotion. I think God was sending me a message….

Jesus was not concerned when the storm arose and was tossing the ship about because He had total faith in His Father. His sleep was probably not easy with all the trashing about of the ship, but He slept nonetheless.

The human mind is a complex animal. It desires to run away with us at the slightest provocation. It can be hard to quell and this situation is very evident in the number of people who struggle with anxiety and depression. Instead of resting in the Father, we are trying to sort out our lives of our own accord.

I know this, all too well as I have struggled with anxiety and depression. But I keep them at bay most of the time by focusing upon scripture and prayer. This has not come easily. I have had to cultivate a sense of peace through these exercises. It has only been 100% effective when I am 100% not reliant upon me.