One day Jesus asked His disciples to go with Him across the lake. So they got in a boat and begin crossing the Sea of Galilee when a fierce storm without warning hit them. I love this story of adventure and danger for the lessons it teaches us.
Meditation
Luke 8:24,25—The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” He asked His disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him.”
Sometimes God wants us to go over to the other side of the lake. It would be easy for us to be safe and stay off the lake. But on the road home God often takes us places we would not choose to teach us more about trusting Him and to build in us the character lessons we need. A major part of our learning comes from the journey itself and the unexpected storms that hit us and test our mettle.
How was it that Jesus was able to sleep through a squall that was life-threatening? Do you suppose it was because He had His Father’s perspective? He knew that He was not going to die nor were His followers because that was not God’s purpose. When we begin to understand God’s purpose and will that is when we can truly sleep. And the amazing thing is that it doesn’t matter what we’ve gone through. It doesn’t matter what we are experiencing now. It doesn’t matter what we will face tomorrow. What matters is that God’s purpose always prevails. This is the secret to victorious living. Panic attacks are mostly caused by circumstances that overwhelm us. Peace is caused by God Who overwhelms us. Isaiah 26:3—“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.”
The disciples were both afraid and lacking in faith—the two go hand in hand. Whenever we are fearful, faith is lacking. They had gone through squalls before. But God manufactured a life-threatening storm and put them in a place where they had no where to escape. Why when it was so dangerous, would Jesus rebuke them for lacking faith and being afraid? Could it be that they did not have God’s perspective in mind? Jesus turned their fear into a teaching point. “You don’t have to fear storms when I’m with you, whether I’m sleeping or awake.” The same truth holds for us in every kind of weather.
In the midst of disaster we can calmly say, “God, things are really bad right now but I know You are in charge!” Most of us dislike situations where we are not in control. We try to set our environment so everything is manageable. The problem with this is that it sets us up to be fearful instead of faithful. On the road home, God wants us to trust Him. Are you willing to do whatever He asks of you?
Inspiration
Who of us can see the finger of God in the weather?—Oswald Chambers in Run Today’s Race
