And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him! Mark 4:37-41
A story is told of a farmer who lived on the Atlantic coast struggling to find and keep farmhands to work his farm. The trouble was that few people wanted to work those farms because of the awful storms that so frequently arose. One day a rather thin, older man approached the farmer in response to his ad for a farmhand. The farmer was a bit reluctant due to his age and frame, so he asked if he was a good farmhand. He replied, “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows.” Though the response puzzled the farmer a bit, there was something about the man that persuaded the farmer to hire him.
The early returns of the farmhand were good as he worked diligently from dawn to dusk. One night when a big storm blew in, the farmer jumped up, ran to the farmhand’s quarters, woke him, and told him to come help tie everything down before it could blow away. The farmhand rolled over and firmly told his boss, “No sir. I told you I can sleep when the wind blows.” Angry with his reply, the farmer hurried outside to prepare for the storm. It was at this moment that he came to understand what the farmhand meant. All the hay was covered with tarps and tied down. All the cows were in the barns, and the chickens were in their coops. The doors were barred, and the shutters were tightly secured. Because of the diligent preparation of the farmhand, there was nothing to blow away when the storm hit, so he could rest easy in his bed.
This material reality can easily be applied to our spiritual lives. Often we wait until the storm is upon us before we attempt to secure our souls. Such procrastination leaves us vulnerable to the heavy winds such storms are sure to bring upon us. Like the disciples in the passage above, we will find ourselves frantically running to the Lord to deliver us. Thankfully, He will deliver us whenever we run to Him, but the wiser course of action is to “tie down” our hearts and minds before the storm hits.
As Paul said, the Lord gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors to equip the saints for the work of ministry to such degree that we should no longer be tossed to and fro with the various winds of doctrine produced by deceitful scheming. (Ephesians 4:11-14). The Hebrews writer spoke of our hope in Christ as the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:17-20). Jesus challenged the disciples on that stormy day in Mark 4 about their lack of faith. The big question we each must ask and answer for ourselves today is, “Can I sleep when the wind blows?” If the answer is no, the next question is, “What am I needing and willing to do to tie down what is loose in my soul? Can you sleep when the wind blows?