As I sit here on Sunday, March 15 to pen this week’s devotional column, I am keeping a close eye on the pending storm that weather forecasters tell us is on the way. According to their predictions, heavy winds and rain are bound for the coast of North Carolina. The potential for flash flooding, tornadoes, and all kinds of heavenly havoc have our local schools closed, businesses boarding up, and families hunkering down in fear of the great unknown. By the time you read this column, all will be passed, and, I pray, all will be well. In the meantime, we wait, we watch, we do our best to prepare and sing in harmony, “Till the Storm Passes By.”
As I pray about the pending storm, I am also pondering the many other storms of life. The storms we read about in the scripture, the storms we have experienced personally, and all of the pending storms that we will face from now until the Lord calls us home. Let’s spend some time on a boat with our Savior and with those who had the amazing privilege of riding out a storm some 2000 years ago on the Sea of Galilee with Him.
Each of the Gospels give us an account of a day on the Open Seas with our Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent Savior. (Mic drop moment – we could just say “Amen” and leave it there…) Mark 4:35-41 tells us of a day like any other… a day that begins with instructions from Jesus to get on board and go. He told the serving sailors that they were passing over (safely) to the other side. In this, we have a Guaranteed Survival of the Master.
It seems they would forget this quite quickly when the winds and waves begin to wreak havoc on their little ship, but we will get to that later.
Can you imagine, being in the presence of Jesus out on the sea of Galilee? I’ve been there a few times and, let me tell you, there’s no place on earth quite like it. The surrounding hills and villages or the backdrop of belief where many miracles had taken place. Blinded eyes had been opened, the deaf were made to hear, the mute to speak, the lame to walk, the leper was healed, and even the demoniac was made whole. Everywhere they looked, the disciples were reminded of the Glorious Sovereignty of the Master.
Sadly, though, they were yet to be convinced of his Providence, no doubt. Somewhere along the way, the Lord retired to the hinder part of the ship and fell fast asleep. As is the case on Galilee, the warm waters and the cooler mountain air collided, and a freak storm began pounding the boat filled with those who would’ve called themselves “Believers.” Immediately, however, their belief turned into doubt and they became “Fair Weather Friends of Jesus.” Instantly, Tranquility turned into Terror; Peace turned into Panic; Worship turned to Worry; the Faithful became Fearful. Their immediate response to the worrisome weather was to question Jesus’ care and concern. They ran down, woke him and asked him, “Master Carest Thou not that we Perish?” (Have we ever questioned God’s Love when life gets stormy?) In this moment, we see the Humanity and the Divinity of Christ on open display.
Jesus was so much man that He needed a nap yet so much God the winds and seas would soon obey His voice. Jesus calmed the chaotic waters simply by speaking, “PEACE.” Then He turned his attention to the disciples and questioned their trust asking, “Why are ye so Fearful? How is it that ye have NO Faith?” It seems that their issue was not that they didn’t have enough faith but that these seasoned saints had NO Faith at all. Ouch!
When we study the account of the “Stormy Seas’ Scripture,” we do so without concern or worry for the fate of those on board the boat. This is because we know the outcome of that day at sea. The Sailors Survived the Storm!!! (So will we…) I have good news, I have read the end of the Bible and I know the outcome of the storms that we will face. Storms are included in Romans 8:28 which teaches us that “All Things Work Together for Our Good and His Glory.”
Beloved, with the uncertainty of the storms of life, I pray that we will Trust our Trustworthy Savior even on the most Tempestuous Seas. Trust Him to get us to the other side, trust Him to be with us in the midst of the storm, trust Him to be Sovereign over the Seas and the Waves.
The best part of this narrative in scripture is the response of the disciples after the storm was calmed. They looked at one another and asked the question, “What Manner of Man is this that Even the Winds and Seas Obey Him?” You see, if it would not have been for the Severity of the Storm, they would have never realized the amazing Sovereignty of the Savior.
There are a few accounts of storms in the Bible where the Savior saw the Saints through to the other side. In one of those accounts, Peter called out to the Lord saying, “If it’s you Lord, Bid Me Come” in response to the invitation of Jesus, Peter got out of the boat and began treading on top of the Tempest (not waiting for the winds to cease…). All was well so long as Peter was Focused on Jesus and Faithfulness to Overcome the Storm. Peter’s peril began when he took his gaze off of the Glory of God and began looking at the Severity of the Storm. Jesus rebuked Peter for his lack of faith and then rescued him from the waves that were overwhelming him.
I pray that today, and every day, as we face our own storms, that we would stay Focused on our Lord, Faithful to our Lord, and Fully Persuaded that truly this is the Savior over all of the Storms of life.
There is one final yet very interesting note. The Bible says there were other “Little Ships” in the vicinity of the boat that Jesus and the disciples were on. Can you imagine the ring-side seat these other boats and their passengers had to watch the Master of the Sea do what only the Living God of Heaven could do?
Always remember, there are many witnesses, watching us to see how we will respond when the storm passes our way. I pray that we would be a Faithful Witness by Faithfully Worshiping Jesus, not only when sitting by Tranquil Shores, but also when weathering Troublesome Seas.
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