MATTHEW 8:23-27 – And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
THEME OF THE DAY. LESSONS FROM A DAY AT SEA. It would be accurate to paint a picture of life as a ship sailing through tumultuous and storm-tossed waters. There are times tough circumstances come crashing over us like towering waves over a ship, leaving us paralyzed with fear. Another nautical image describing our lives would be of dark low clouds forming on the horizon guaranteeing an inevitable storm is coming our way and we become fearful. Who has not encountered difficulties trying our faith and creating anxiety within us? The answer is none of us.
In today’s scripture, the disciples went to sea. It was not a pleasant little excursion on a glass-like body of water. They were not heading out for a picnic on the sea and a leisurely float on a cloudless day. No, a storm, and Matthew writes, “a great storm” came upon them. It was so great that “the boat was being swamped by the waves.” One doesn’t need to think too long and hard to the reaction of the disciples. They were paralyzed with fear and believed it was over, not the storm, but their lives. They cried out in complete harmony and unity, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” This experience of the disciples in a literal storm offers two valuable lessons for us as we “sail through life’s storms.”
First, focusing on difficult circumstances, trials, and situations instead of the Lord distorts reality as it really is, not as we perceive in the moment. Listen to the disciples – “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” Really? Stop for a moment, guys. Jesus called you to follow Him and He would make them to be fishers of men. They were chosen to change the world for Him. Really? Perishing? Hardly. They were being taught an unforgettable lesson of faith in the Lord Jesus through a situation they could not change or control. And the same for us. Don’t stay focused on what is happening to and around us. See beyond the seen into the world of the unseen. By faith, “see” Jesus amid the storms of life. He will show us reality, not our circumstantial distortion of reality.
The second lesson is keep remembering who is in our “boat”, i.e., lives with us. Matthew writes, “And they went and woke Him”. Jesus was asleep in the boat with them. Asleep? In the midst of an intense storm with waves crashing over the boat? Yes. And “Why not?” The Creator of the storm would have no fear over what He created and controlled. And it applies to us as well. The “storm of life” we are currently in didn’t just happen. The Lord of Creation sent it to teach us about Himself and ourselves. Just like He did with His disciples.
Always remember, we are never alone – in storms or without them. Rest in this truth. It will bring great peace while in great storms.
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for never leaving me alone or powerless in the storms of life.”
QUOTE: “Life is sailed in the troubled waters of a sin-cursed world but it is never sailed alone.”