Imagine for a moment a situation – imaginary or experienced – where you believed your demise was eminent. Think of an experience that the adrenaline was pumping and you had fully embraced survival mode because you were convinced you wouldn’t live to tell the tale of what you were currently enduring. Do you have a picture in your mind? Hopefully one that doesn’t trigger you to panic – stick with me here. If you know what that feels like then you can relate to where the disciples were when they were caught in a terrifying storm on a lake in a small boat with Jesus. They were positive that they were going to drown at any second!

Matthew 8:23-26 Then he [Jesus] got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He [Jesus] replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 

Did you catch the the short little sentence there in the middle that says…But Jesus was sleeping. This is actually the only place in the Bible where it is mentioned that Jesus slept. I believe this is to show the lack of faith in the disciples when they were confronted with a storm. Clearly the disciples were annoyed that Jesus could sleep through what they truly believed to be a life threatening situation!!! Yet there Jesus peacefully sleeps through the terrified commotion of the disciples while waves continue crashing over the sides of the boat! I’m sure the disciples didn’t have enough clarity to determine whether they were terrified at the waves or angry with Jesus for seemingly leading them to their end! The disciples had seen Jesus perform miracles and felt confident that they would be kept safe if they remained in his presence. How could this be happening? 

The disciples must have been confused for they were obeying Jesus to row across the body of water and yet he seemingly had led them straight into a storm that may take their very lives from them. Do you ever feel this way? Do you blame God when you feel like you have been obedient and trustworthy and yet it seems like you have been led straight into the storm? We can stand firm in the storms of life for God is with us. God is right there strengthening us if we will only put down our fleshly insecurities and rely on God’s purposes for our pain. Some paint Christianity as a road without trouble once you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior. The Bible doesn’t promise that if we follow Jesus and honor the word of God that we won’t experience storms, but it does say that God will be with us and that God will accomplish his purposes in ALL of our struggles.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Jesus calls the disciples out on their disbelief and rebukes them for their lack of faith. Would we have behaved any differently in this scenario? Do we act differently in our current storm than how the disciples reacted? Does Jesus have to quiet the waves for us to trust him? That doesn’t seem like faith at all to me, if he has to remove the storm entirely from us for us to trust God is with us and for us. Afterall, God gave his one and only son.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus was one with the Father and yet born of a woman with the limitations of humanity to fellowship with his creation. 

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father

Jesus did all this for us. ALL THIS FOR US. And yet when there is a storm, many times we respond in disbelief that he is for us. That he is even with us. It is hard for us to understand, but I think this is why Jesus rebuked the disciples so harshly for their lack of faith. After ALL that Jesus had sacrificed to be among them, they immediately reacted in fear as soon as the first storm appeared. Do we do this? Why? After all that the Father has done to show us how much he loves us. Why do we ever doubt? Jesus could have remained in heaven and never stepped foot on earth, never tread among us, never experienced what it is to be human first hand. But God loved us so much that he sacrificed his one and only son, so that we would be redeemed from our sins and know eternal salvation. Should there ever be a doubt that he isn’t right beside us? Let us not be of little faith. Let us laugh at the waves sweeping over the sides of our boat and confident that God is with us through the storm!!