Matthew 8:24, NIV
“Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.”
On a visit to Israel, I went to Galilee and saw the remains of a boat that had been unearthed after being buried in the sand on the shore of the lake, probably since around the time of Jesus. It was smaller than I’d imagined, so when I read again the story of the storm on the lake in Matthew Chapter 8, I could imagine how the waves would have been sweeping over the side of the boat during a storm. No wonder the disciples were alarmed. But what was Jesus doing in this crisis? He was asleep in the boat. Was this because He didn’t care about the disciples and about what happened to them? Not at all. I believe that Jesus was able to sleep in the midst of the storm because He had complete peace. He trusted His Father and the protection He had from Him, and He also knew who He was and the authority He’d been given.
In response to the disciples’ cry for help, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” The problem was that their fear at that moment was greater than their faith. Fear robs us of the ability to stand in faith in the midst of storms, and it robs us of peace. In the crisis they had lost sight of who Jesus was. They had taken their eyes off Him and all they could see were the effects of the storm and the waves lashing over the side of the boat.
What about you today? I wonder what storms are raging in your life. Be encouraged that as we keep our eyes on Jesus and trust Him with every aspect of our lives, we will know His peace – the same kind of peace that enabled Jesus to sleep in the midst of the storm.
Prayer: Lord, forgive me for taking my eyes off You and for focusing on the storms in my life. I know You can calm every storm. I trust You and ask You to give me Your peace now even in the midst of the storm. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
