Storm Calmer
Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27 (NLT)
Insight
The summer after my sophomore year of college, I worked at a marina at the Lake of the Ozarks. My duties included cleaning and gassing up the ski boats and pontoons we rented to tourists.
One afternoon a storm came up quickly, and we were scrambling to get the boats from gas dock to their individual slips. The heavy wind and rising waves thwarted my efforts to maneuver a pontoon into its slip on the first try. As I repeatedly smashed into the wooden dock, my boss watched from shore, pressing his hand to his forehead.
Although I wasn’t frightened for my life, I was definitely afraid I’d lose my job!
In our “Jesus Calms the Storm” story from Matthew (which also appears in Mark 4 and Luke 8), three takeaways stand out to me.
Jesus was in the same boat and He wasn’t scared. Not only was he unfazed, He was asleep! This may speak to His complete and utter trust in His Father, or to His sheer physical exhaustion from having a long day of ministry, or both. The fact remains that the disciples had to wake Jesus to get His attention. We don’t know how long it took the disciples to ask Jesus for help. Did they try to bail the water out or steer the boat a different direction in attempt to control the situation on their own? For myself, I know that it often takes much striving and sheer desperation to seek Christ for help. But in a storm of any kind, the best thing to do is cry out to Jesus. He is never worried or surprised. He loves us and wants to help.
Jesus didn’t rebuke the disciples for waking Him up. He scolded them for their lack of faith, for being freaked out about their situation. Well, they were about to drown, so why shouldn’t they be afraid, we might ask. But the disciples had just witnessed Jesus performing miracle after miracle, displaying power and compassion. Plus they would have grown up knowing passages like Psalm 46:1-3: “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So, we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!” Aren’t we like the disciples? We may have God’s Word written on our hearts, yet our circumstances can cloud out the truth that God is with us.
Jesus’s authority over nature saved them. One commentary I read pointed out that the immediate stopping of the wind could be explainable in natural terms since storms sometimes leave as fast as they come. But the Sea of Galilee would have stayed turbulent for some time without supernatural intervention. It’s comforting to know that the same God who can bring a squally sea to absolute stillness also has power over any turmoil in my life. I can rest in His sovereignty over all my troubles, trusting Him to get me through to the other side. Even if I am looking death in the face, my trust in God can give me peace because death will mean I am with God.
These lessons mean all the more to me now that I’ve traded Midwest lakes for Southeast coastline (especially during hurricane season). No matter how stormy life gets, I can all rely on the one true lifeboat, Jesus.
Reflection
• What storms has Jesus calmed for you in the past?
• If you’re facing a storm right now, what would it look like to rest in His sovereignty over that circumstance in your life?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to display Your glory and might in tangible ways. Help me to remember that You are in complete control over every trial I face, and even if You choose not to quiet every storm immediately, I can trust that You are with me in it. You always care for me with perfect provision. Amen.
Port City writer Katy Davis wrote today’s devotional.
