Over the years, I have heard and read stories of people caught in small boats during a storm. These stories are amazing stories of survival, but they were also quite harrowing for those involved. It is not an experience anyone would want to have. In the Bible, we find the story of Jesus and his disciples caught in a storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee. There were four fishermen in that band of disciples. It was probably one of their boats, and they knew how to sail it. But as they made their way across the sea, a storm suddenly appeared, as it often did on that sea. The intensity of the storm increased rapidly, and the skilled sailors soon became unable to handle the wind and the waves. Being overwhelmed and finding Jesus sleeping in such a storm, they were incensed and filled with fear. They awakened Jesus from his sleep, crying out, “Save us, Lord, we are perishing.” Waking, Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and immediately calmed the storm with the voice of his command.
They are in this raging, violent storm. The waves were large, and the wind was fierce, but at the word of Jesus, the sea became instantly and eerily calm. The disciples find themselves more fearful of the one who calmed the storm than they were of the storm itself. But the really amazing and surprising thing was the rebuke Jesus thrust upon them for their fear and lack of faith. Who would be able to face such a storm without fear? And who could have such faith that they would not experience fear in the face of this kind of storm? The answer to both questions is Jesus. What is Jesus teaching them and us?
When we see Jesus doing miracles in the Bible, we intuitively know that the miracles have a deeper purpose. The primary purpose is to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Savior of the world. But there are other purposes as well. Another purpose of the miracle of calming the storm is to deal with the disciples’ struggle of faith. And by application, every believer’s struggle of faith. Storms, both literally and figuratively, happen in life. How we deal with the storms of life is what matters.
Jesus calls his followers to focus on several things in the storms of life. The first is that God is sovereign over all the storms we face. All kinds of storms blow into our lives. There are relational storms, financial storms, health storms, and many others. They have a tendency to fill us with fear. We need to remember that God created the storm, and he can calm it. The storms of life are from God and are for our good. We can trust Jesus to calm the external storm, but we also must trust him to calm the internal storm that rages in our hearts.
The second thing God wants us to focus on is trusting Jesus while in the storm. While the storm is blowing hard, it is most difficult to stay calm. The problem is that some storms can last a long time. Can we trust Jesus over the length of our struggle? Can we trust him when he doesn’t calm it as quickly as we want? One thing that helps us do that is to remember that the storm has a purpose. God did not bring this storm into my life for no reason. One of the reasons for the storm is to strengthen our faith. As we grapple with the struggle of faith in the storm, we must also remember that the Holy Spirit who lives inside us will help us trust Jesus.
The last thing Jesus wants us to focus on while we navigate the wind and waves of life is that Jesus is in the boat. The boat is our life trying to make its way through the storms of this life. If we are believers in Jesus Christ, Jesus is in the boat. He is in our lives. Jesus is with me, Jesus is for me, and Jesus is in me. Jesus is in the boat.
As you struggle with the various storms of life, remember that Jesus is in control. He will guide you safely to your harbor, his heavenly home. He has a plan for your life, and he loves you. You can choose to trust him because Jesus is in the boat.