HE’S IN THE SAME BOAT
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Mark 4:39 (NIV)
In Mark 4:35, we find Jesus and His disciples departing for the other side of the Sea of Galilee after a long day of teaching. The Sea of Galilee is well known for the occurrence of sudden, violent storms and the disciples soon found themselves in a ferocious storm in the darkness of night. The wind whipped up waves so intense that they began breaking into the boat, and it started filling with water. The terrified disciples, several experienced fishermen, feared the boat was going down. Meanwhile, Jesus slept peacefully in the back of the boat. The desperate disciples woke Him up, shouting, Don’t You care if we drown? In response, Jesus got up and rebuked the storm, and the situation completely calmed as the wind and waves listened to their Creator’s command to hush.
On the surface, it appears that the disciples' greatest problem in this scenario was the storm. But, as I heard a pastor once put it, the real problem is that they were more certain of the storm's power than of God's power in the boat. Yes, they were in a scary situation, but what threatened and overwhelmed them did not threaten and overwhelm their God, who was with them.
We all face storms that can make us feel overwhelmed, fearful, worried and think we won’t make it. Like the disciples, we’re prone to fixate on how powerful the storm is, accuse God of not caring about our situation, and forget His power over everything. In those moments, we must shift our perspective from how powerful the storm is to how powerful our God is. He has full authority over every storm, and He cares deeply about you. Take Him at His word that He’ll get you to the other side.
APPLICATION: What storm are you currently facing? Declare with certainty that the power of God is greater than the power of your storm.
PRAYER: God, give me confidence in Your presence and power and help me trust in Your authority over the storms in my life. Fill me with Your peace and assure my heart that I am safe in Your care. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?