Calm in the Storm

Matthew 8:23-27

New International Version (NIV)

 ²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

 ²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

 ²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him! ” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208:%2023%20-%2027&version=NIV)

Originally I was going to use this scripture with my blog from yesterday but chose to save it until today.  Look at the first word in this passage, it says “then”.  If we look prior to this passage we see that Jesus had just told two different people that living a life with Him would be very difficult, not an easy road and then He takes His disciples out on a boat.

I can just imagine that this rough tough men were pretty proud of themselves because Jesus chose them and they thought they could weather the storm even if the teacher of the law couldn’t do it.  I could be wrong but the reason I think this is because of what happened next.  These men were really put to the test.  Have you ever felt confident in yourself, knew what direction you were going and truly felt satisfied and then bam, you are put to the test?  I have and I can imagine that is how these men felt as well.

Once on the waters a storm came up and they were tossed to and fro.  I can’t say that I know what that might have felt like because I have never had to weather a storm in a boat but I have seen “The Perfect Storm” and I can assure you that I would have been the first one down to wake up Jesus!  These men, whom I would imagine had been in numerous storms were terrified and they ran down to wake Him up.  The first words out of their mouths were, “Lord save us!”  Have you ever prayed that prayer or one similar?  Have you ever uttered the next words out of their mouths? “We’re going to drown.”  I may not have used those exact words but I have asked the Lord for help when I felt I was at the end of my rope and I think that is what the disciples did as well. 

What really surprises me about this passage was Jesus response, “You of little faith, why are you afraid?”.   Let’s stop and think about that for just a little bit.  These men were men that we read about earlier who left their nets when Jesus said “Come follow me”.  These were men that left their father to follow a man that had no place to lay His head.  I would not classify these men as men of little faith, would you?  To me these were men that were showing great faith by following someone into the unknown.  Yet as we read on we see that they still did not realize who this man really was.  In verse 27 they replied to the action of Jesus calming the storm with amazement wondering who this man was that could calm the storm.  I have always wondered why they even woke Him if they didn’t think He could calm the storm.  The obviously didn’t expect Him to calm the storm, I think they just wanted an extra set of hands on deck because they were surprised at what happened next. Or, maybe they thought He had a more direct contact with God, something people do when they ask the pastor to pray rather than doing it themselves.  What they didn’t realize was that He was God incarnate.

Where are you in the faith department?  As I shared yesterday sometimes I feel I am pretty strong in that area just like the disciples probably thought they were.  But, when the storms come our way that is when we really see where we are in the faith department.  That is when these words come blaring at me, “You of little faith”.  If our faith is strong enough no matter how strong the wind is our sail will not be destroyed.  No matter how strong the storm we recognize that we serve the One that is greater than the storm.

As you seek Him today, I trust that you will recognize that He is God and that He is not only the maker of the storms He is the calm within the storm.  Trust Him, that’s easy to say, but because of our lack of faith it is not always easy to do.  But, do it anyway, trust and obey, just as the hymn of old says, “for there is no other way to be happy is in Jesus but to trust and obey”.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila