Matthew 8:23-27

Matthew 8:23-27

And after He got Himself into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And behold, a great storm rose up in the sea so that the boat was being covered over by the waves.  And He was asleep.  And after approaching Him, they raised Him up while saying, “Lord, save us!  We are being utterly destroyed!”  And He says to them, “Why are you cowardly, ones of little faith?”  Then after being raised up He rebuked the wind and the sea and a great calm became.  And the men marveled while saying, “What sort of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Have you ever wondered why it is that Jesus would take His disciples in a boat while a storm is brewing?  Yes, the Sea of Galilee is a small sea known for its sudden weather changes.  But Jesus is the Son of God!  Surely He knew what was about to happen!  Why would Jesus put His disciples at risk?  Simply put, there was a lesson to be learned here.  Understand this point.  The God who is in control of the universe is not afraid to allow us to learn lessons that cause us to feel at risk or even in harm’s way.  Jesus is not afraid to put His disciples in the path of the storm.  Therefore, we should not think that when we follow Jesus that everything will go smoothly, either.  We will learn tough lessons.  We will occasionally be in danger.  Just because we find ourselves in a scary place or uncertain circumstances doesn’t mean that we are doing anything contrary to God’s will!

Does it bother you to think that God isn’t afraid of leading us into scary or uncertain circumstances?  Why do we like to think that when we follow God that everything will go swimmingly?

Second Thought:

In the midst of the storm, the disciples learn a very important lesson.  The disciples learn that they are perishing!  The disciples learn that they cannot save themselves!  The disciples learn that when their life is flashing before their eyes they turn to a higher power that has more power than they do!  This is an incredible lesson to learn.  We cannot save ourselves.  There are some things that are just beyond us.  The disciples are brought into the bought to be given a very real object lesson.  We are not our own masters.  We are better served by humbling ourselves and doing the will of the one who can save us.

How well do you understand that you are perishing? How well do you fall before God?  When in your life have you learned the same lessons that the disciples are now learning?

Third Thought:

Jesus does save them.  Jesus does rebuke the wind and the sea.  The Bible tells us that a great calm spreads out before them.  The disciples are put into a circumstance where they understand their own finitude.  When they respond humbly and turn to God, calm enters their life!  It really is that simple.  When God is our rock, we can stand tall.  When God is our anchor, we will not be tossed about.  When God is our hope, we will not live in vain.  That is something to marvel at much like the disciples marvel at Jesus when He brings calm to their chaotic life as well.

When has Jesus brought calm to your life?  When have you been amazed at the peace and calm that you could experience amidst turmoil?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 8:28-31