There was this one night when I was a child that I will never forget. A really bad storm was heading our way and I was extremely nervous. All around I could hear the gusts of the wind and the rain pouring down. I was sure we were in trouble. Because of my nerves my dad agreed that we could go to the church building. I felt like it was a safer building to be in and my dad would do anything he could to not only make sure we were as safe as possible but to also make sure that we felt safe. Over the course of my life I have sat through and driven through several bad storms. I have also had things happen in my life that represent those stormy days we all face from time to time. When the storms of life happen how do we respond? Where do we put our trust?
In scripture we read about Jesus and His disciples caught in a couple of different storms. In Matthew 8:23-27 Jesus and His disciples were on a boat when a “great tempest arose.” The disciples were scared for their lives, but where was Jesus? Jesus was asleep. His discples came to Him and woke Him up. They wanted Him to save them. Jesus questioned them about their fear and their faith and said, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” He then arose and rebuked the winds and sea and everything was calm once again.
In Matthew 14:22-33, the disciples were out on a boat and Jesus came walking on the water. The disciples at first thought that Jesus was a ghost but Jesus spoke to them and said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”. Upon hearing this, Peter wanted to join the Lord on the water. The Lord told him to “come”. Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water, but the winds were very boisterous. Beacuse of Peter’s fear he began to sink. He immediatley wanted the Lord to save him. Jesus reached out His hand and caught him and said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” When Jesus and Peter got into the boat the winds stopped.
In both of these accounts fear and doubt were overcoming the faith of the disciples, but Jesus was always there. We read in Matthew 8:27 the response given by the men after Jesus had calmed the wind and the sea. “So the men marveled, saying, ‘Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'” In Matthew 14:33 when Peter and Jesus get back in the boat they bowed down and worshipped Jesus saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
No matter what kind of storm we may face in life we always need to remember God and put our faith and trust in Him. He is greater than the storms we face from bad weather, and He is greater than the storms life sometimes brings our way. Let us all trust in His power, realize Jesus is Lord, and follow Him forver.
Derek Broome