IN THE STORM
Opening Prayer
Lord, Your power is limitless.
Read LUKE 8:22–25
Jesus Calms the Storm
22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Meditate
“Skies all clad in sable, / storm clouds scudding past, / clinging to the cable, / I am anchored fast” (William P. Breed, 1816– 1889).
Think Further
Jesus came to bring us “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10, GNT). Does this mean we should expect life to be easy and trouble-free? The Bible offers us no such guarantee. Today’s reading sees Jesus tell his disciples to cross a lake, where they are engulfed by a fierce storm. Jesus saves them, but some might argue it would have been kinder if he had prevented the storm from ever happening in the first place, or if he had never instructed the disciples to cross the lake. Jesus is not in a rush to help them, either. They are “swamped” by waves and find themselves in genuine danger of perishing before Jesus awakes and stills the storm.
So why does Jesus allow them to get into such a situation? Loving others does not always involve shielding them from every challenge. We learn and grow through making mistakes and facing difficulties. If Jesus doesn’t instruct his disciples to cross the lake, they do not learn what incredible power he has or that they can still trust him even when everything appears to be falling apart around them. God’s aim is that we mature and become like Christ—and trials can help us do just that.
However, because testing times reveal just how far we still have to go as Christians, we can get discouraged. Doubts bombard us, and we may worry that we are losing the battle. Just like the disciples, we are fallible human beings who react to trouble with fear and panic. But be encouraged: Christ was gracious to the disciples back then, and he is gracious to us today. Keep calling out to him, and he will lead you to the other side, stronger.
Apply
Ask God for the faith to keep trusting him in the face of difficulties. Be honest about any doubts and worries you are struggling with.
Closing prayer
Lord, teach me not to fall apart at the seams when trouble comes knocking at my door. Teach me how to rely on You through any and every form of trouble.
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