Matt 8:24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
Last night, at the end of a meeting at church, I asked for continued prayers as my guys prepare for their upcoming AT journey. It is an incredibly exciting time, but I realized, as emotion choked my voice during the request, that I still have a lot of fears about all the uncertainties. When my sweet Savior put Matthew 8 in my path this morning, I immediately saw the parallels. I feel like I am sitting in a rickety rowboat in the middle of an enormous sea, watching ominous storm clouds gather in the distance. My fear is not based on fact. It is based solely on what “could” happen. Jesus, help me.
Matt 8:25 The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
It feels a bit like being trapped in a tv broadcast before a bad storm—snow storm, tropical storm, you name it. Stations all treat them the same. They talk ad nauseam about what could happen, what might happen, what happened in the past, but they are not God. They don’t know what will happen. And Jesus is napping in my boat, totally unconcerned about the storm—not because He doesn’t care but because He knows that His Father, our Father, is in control. He is resting in perfect peace instead of panicking in fear. Jesus, help me.
Matt 8:26a He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the truths that You have laid on my heart. Thank You for helping me gain some much needed perspective when it comes to my fears. Thank You for the amazing opportunity of this hike. Draw my family closer to You and to each other as we continue to prepare. Help me, specifically, to trust and not to fear. Wrap me in Your peace. Amen.
Matt 8:26b Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.