Even the waves obey Him

Scripture:

Luke 8:22-25 One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. (23) As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. (24) The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. (25) "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

Observation:

The Sea of Galilee (actually a large lake) is even today the scene of fierce storms, sometimes with waves as high as 20 feet. Jesus' disciples were not frightened without cause. Even though several of them were expert fishermen and knew how to handle a boat, their peril was real.

Although the disciples had witnessed many miracles, they panicked in this storm. As experienced sailors, they knew its danger; what they did not know was that Christ could control the forces of nature. We often encounter storms in our life, where we feel God can't or won't work. When we truly understand who God is, however, we will realize that he controls both the storms of nature and the storms of the troubled heart. Jesus' power that calmed this storm can also help us deal with the problems we face. Jesus is willing to help if we only ask him. We should never discount his power even in terrible trials.

Application:

This past week, my wife and I were on a cruise ship to Cozumel with some family members. The cruise was going great, and we had a lot of fun...UNTIL Friday around noon. It was at this time that we began to experience 8-15 foot waves constantly beating against our ship. This went on for about 24 hours. For 15 of those of hours we were trying to make it into the Mobile channel so we could dock...but the weather just wouldn't let us. There were several times during those hours that it was pretty frightening, and we were on a huge ship.

I began to think about what Peter and the other disciples experienced in a much smaller boat while in the middle of a storm such as what we encountered. I looked into the waves and imagined Peter walking on the water...on top of the waves! I thought about the disciples running to awaken Jesus (today's text) and how frightened they must have been while riding out the waves. I promise you that we (my family and I) were calling out to the Lord to calm the sea.

When caught in the storms of life, it is easy to think that God has lost control and that we're at the mercy of the winds of fate. In reality, God is sovereign. He controls the history of the world as well as our personal destiny. Just as Jesus calmed the waves, he can calm whatever storms you may face.

Prayer:

"Lord, I am so thankful that you are still the Master of the sea. The winds and the waves obey your voice. There are storms in our life that constantly batter us, and we wonder how and if we will make it through. When this happens, help me to remember that you are on the Boat with me. I need to call out to you and allow you to speak peace into my situation. In Jesus' name, amen!"