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Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must first deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ( Matt. 16:24 )
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Jesus Calms the Storm
That day when the evening came, He said to His
disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving
the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He
was in a boat. There were also other boats with Him.
A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over
the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
Jesus was in the stern sleeping on a cushion. The
disciples woke Him, "Teacher, don't you care if we
drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said,
"Quiet! Be Still!" Then the wind died down and
it was completely calm.
He said to His disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do
you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other, " Who is
this? Even the wind and waves obey Him!"
The Sea of Galilee is an unusual body of water. It is
a relatively small body of water that is 13 miles long,
7 miles wide, 150 feet deep and the shoreline is 680
feet below sea level. The winds blow across the
surrounding mountains, which often cause violent
and unexpected storms with little or no warning,
stirring the water into as much as 20 foot squalls.
The boat Jesus and the disciples were in would
have been a fishing boat because at least five of the
disciples were seasoned fishermen. The boat would
have been large enough to fit Jesus and the the
disciples, and was powered by oars and sails. During
the storm the sails were taken down to make the boat
easier to control.
The disciples were expert and very seasoned fishermen
on the Sea of Galilee, and dealing with this type of
stormy weather was very commonplace. Yet when
this sudden storm came up they panicked because
they sensed real danger. What they forgot was that
Jesus was in control of nature itself!
When we are caught in the storms of life, we can think
we are at the mercy of the winds of fate. When you are
facing stormy areas of life, do you get the feeling like
the disciples that Jesus is unaware, or unconcerned?
When storms come into your life causing you anxiety,
worry, and fear you can know that Jesus is still in
control and still cares for you.
In 1 Peter 5:7 we are told to cast all our cares
upon Him because He cares. When we truly
understand who the Lord is, this becomes so much
easier. God is Sovereign and controls both the
storms of nature and life.
Proverbs 3:5,6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all
your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct
your paths." Just like He completely calmed the
storm, winds and waves that day, He can calm the
storms we face in life. When we are in the boat
with Him we are safe.
Proverbs 10:25 says, "When the storm has swept
by, the wicked are gone but the righteous stand firm
forever. His question then and now for those allowing
life's storms to make them live in fear, anxiety and
worry is, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still
have no faith?"
God Bless and Stand Firm in the Faith!
Brother Jay
Bye 4 Now!
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