And as they sailed, he fell asleep. And a squall came down on the lake, and the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him saying, “Master, Master, we are going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and the storm subsided and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples Luke 8:23-25
In our lives, there will be storms. The storms can happen at work, at home, with friends or family. Storms can be painful and frightening. People may break our hearts, jobs can disappoint us, and life can take an unexpected turn. At times, we may feel helpless and not know what to do or where to turn. We may mull over the right words for hours to figure out what to say in a particular situation. We may second guess our actions wondering if acting on our feelings will make a situation worse. In all of this turmoil, we may panic or react too quickly and later regret our actions or words.
When the disciples experienced a dangerous storm while they were out on the water, they panicked. They did not know what to do. In their panic, they awakened Jesus who quickly put the winds and waves to rest. He knew all the disciples needed to do was ask Him for help.
As we read this story, it sounds as if Jesus questioned the disciples’ behavior. Was he upset that they had awakened him? Or was He upset because they panicked? The disciples were afraid and did not trust that He could easily deal with whatever storm came along and put it to rest.
For us, the message of these passages instructs us to go to God first. When things are not going well, no matter what the circumstance, read the Scripture and have conversations with God. Praying and turning to God’s word can provide us with the guidance for actions and help to calm the storm. By trusting in God, the storm will end and leave peacefulness in the place of the winds and the waves.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path Psalm 119:105
The verse above lets us know that the most important guidance we can find is in the Word of God. The Scripture is our GPS. It can point the way when we are faced with the storms of life. And once we are through the storm, we can appreciate the calm and thank God for His guidance along the way. Then, we can celebrate the calm waters.
All books available on Amazon.
Comments