S) "23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing!' 26 He *said to them, 'Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?' Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, 'What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'"
Matthew 8:23-27 (NASB)
O) There are several notable things about this story. Some more depth can be gleaned when reading from the books of Mark and Luke, also. One of the biggest points about this, though, is that Jesus didn't rebuke the disciples for waking Him. That is, Jesus didn't rebuke them for overreacting or misjudging the severity of the storm. It's not like Jesus waved them off, rolled over, and went back to sleep. This storm was indeed severe. This storm could have been lethal, but it was not. This storm was not lethal, though, because their salvation was at hand. The storm was nothing to fear, because they were all in the same boat. If they had awakened Jesus by saying something like, "Um, Master? Sorry to wake You. This storm is severe, will You please save us? You can go back to sleep afterward. Thanks." I imagine Jesus would have had a much different response. It's all about approach.
A) Jesus never promised an easy life when following Him. In fact, quite the opposite. He never promised a "safe" life following Him. In fact, quite the opposite. There will be dangers and trials. But, can I say that following Jesus is really dangerous, when He is my security? Were the lives of the disciples ever really at risk on that boat? Even supposing I end up a martyr for Jesus, was that really dangerous? Martyrs don't truly die, do they? Why should I ever be afraid while following Jesus? Indeed, as dangerous as things ever might seem, He wins in the end. As long as I'm in the same boat as Jesus, I have no reason to be afraid. My approach to hard times should reflect my position relative to Jesus. My positional righteousness is secured by the grace of God, alone. I have nothing to fear indeed.
P) Father, thank You for the boat! Thank You for Your grace and lovingkindness, that I may be counted among Your children! How blessed I am to know that I have nothing to fear! I confess that fears sometimes creep in, though. Forgive me for my unbelief, Lord. Increase my faith, to face every situation in life with the same resolve: that You are with me, so who can be against me?! You are for me, so what shall I fear? As my fears decrease, may Your glory increase. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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