March 1998
Absolute Trust
any parents have experienced the absolute trust of their youngsters.
You probably recall times you have placed a son or daughter on a table or set of steps
and told them to jump into your arms. There is not a hesitation, or any doubt in their
minds that you will catch them.
When flashes of lightning brighten a dark night sky and the crash of thunder wakens our
children, how soon is it before they rush into Daddy and Mummy's bed for comfort? Somehow,
nearness to us takes away any danger.
That is the kind of faith we probably experienced in the initial stages of our
Christian "first love". Hopefully we can retain it too!
I remember as a university student rushing for a train to get to sabbath services in
London, England, and due to some unexpected complication being ten minutes late. While my
feet pounded the tarmac pavements toward the station, I would pray that God would hold
back the train for me to catch it. He never failed to enable me to get to Church services
in time. Delays due to fog, strikes, and just plain train tardiness 'just happened to
occur' on the day I was late.
My wife recently pointed out a very valuable lesson the disciples learnt while sailing
on the Sea of Galilee. Actually they were 'wailing' on the Sea of Galilee. Wailing because
everything around them seemed to be signalling their impending drowning.
Check out Mark 4:35-41. While the boat tossed to and fro, lurching sideways and
shipping water, Jesus Christ was sleeping. Christ's comments to the disciples after they
complained He didn't care, showed they lacked faith and were fearful.
Could it be that they actually believed they and our Saviour would die before His
prophesied ministry would be completed?
Squalls on the Sea of Galilee could turn very nasty very quickly.
Jesus' calming of the sea occurs just before a man with 2000 demons is calmed. Those
demons caused pigs to drown in the sea. Perhaps this indicates demon influence in the
sudden storm to drown them. After all, Satan has some control over the weather, shown in
the loss of some of Job's children by a violent wind (Job 1:18-19).
We in God's church are experiencing stormy weather. No doubt Satan is stirring wherever
he can. But Jesus Christ will not let us drown. There is far to much still to be done.
Let's continue to show faith in our Father looking after us, and in our Brother, the head
of the Church who now has no need for sleep!
Remember how trusting our children are towards us. How much more should we be towards
the Great Father God. 
Peter Hawkins
