It never ceases to amaze me how the word which God gives my pastor to share on Sunday always winds up being exactly what I need to make it through my upcoming week.
This past Sunday my pastor was preaching about Jesus’s miracles … specifically Jesus’s power over nature. The case study we looked at was Jesus calming a storm.
“Then he [Jesus] got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’
“Jesus 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. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” – Matthew 8:2-27
Just two days later a “Bomb Cyclone” showed up causing a furious windstorm to sweep through my area! God had prepared my heart (and my faith) for the storm through the words my pastor had just shared.
As the wind gusts blew fierce and strong Tuesday night … I kept remembering the words my pastor had shared about Jesus’s power over nature!
It was pitch dark outside … we couldn’t see anything. Which made the intense gusting through the trees in the forest seem more frightening.
It’s easy to scoff at the disciples for not having faith when they had Jesus himself in the boat with them.
But, if we are a follower of Jesus Christ, we too have “Jesus in the boat” with us! Jesus is right here with us … every bit as much as Jesus was physically right there with the disciples.
As the wind whipped the 60-80-foot-tall trees outside in the darkness … and as tree debris clattered with startling jarring sounds on our roof, I faced the decision – Do I have faith to trust that “Jesus is in the boat” with me right here, right now. Jesus is in this house with me right here, right now. Jesus will take care of me. Jesus won’t let an 80-foot tall giant land on me.
The hour grew late, and hubby and I needed to go to bed. The storm wasn’t calming down anytime soon.
I faced the decision – Do I have faith to trust that “Jesus is in the boat” with me right here, through this night? Do I have faith to crawl in my bed and go to sleep … trusting that Jesus will keep me safe. Do I have faith to drift off into unconscious sleep, trusting that Jesus will keep an 80-foot tall giant from falling on me in my sleep.
It’s easy to read the account of the disciples in the boat (in Matthew 8:23-27) and not get why the disciples were so afraid. Why did they not have faith when Jesus was right there?
Then we go through our own storm.
And it’s scary!
It’s frightening!
We have no idea what’s going to happen.
The windstorm which came through our area was a situation! 32 power substations went down. Emergency power crews have been called in from Oregon and Idaho to help get the substations back online, and power restored.
The sermon my pastor shared on Sunday focused on life-storms. Life situations which are every bit as stormy and scary as the literal storm the disciples went through and as the “Bomb Cyclone” storm our area went through.
In those stormy life situations, we face the same decision – Do I have faith to trust that “Jesus is in the boat with me” in this storm?
In those stormy life situations, we face the same decision – Will I lie down in peace and sleep? … trusting that Jesus will keep me safe through this??
Jesus is faithful! We can trust Him!
Jesus covered and protected hubby and me in our storm.
Jesus will be faithful to cover and protect you in your storm.
Jesus is good! … we can absolutely trust Him!
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” – Psalm 4:8
“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe … he will hide me in his shelter.” – Psalm 27:5
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” – Psalm 91:1-2
“When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” – Psalm 94:18-19
Thank you God for peace to sleep through the storm!
