Mark Chapter 4:35-41

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Jesus told the disciples that they were going to the other side and went to sleep. Yet when the storm came, the disciples became upset and worried and even went as far as waking Jesus and suggesting that He might let them drown!

Jesus immediately got up and calmed the storm.

How sad He must have felt at their lack of trust and unbelief. He had told them they were going to the other side, yet they allowed their fear in the circumstances to contradict what He had told them. If only they had taken Him at His word! If only they had rested with Him!

Now when I encounter one of life’s storms, I say to the Lord: “I know YOU are in the boat with me.” Knowing the Lord is with me through my difficulties allows me to rest instead of falling into the trap of fear, panic and disbelief. As I discussed in a previous blog, worrying is contrary to the Lord’s command.

The Lord knows our needs and He loves us. Learning to completely and unreservedly trust Him, no matter how bad things look around us, may not be easy at first, but it’s wonderful once we are convinced. Once we have learned to trust His promises, we can rest in Him, knowing He is there in the boat with us, without fail. Our God who calmed the storm for the disciples will calm our hearts when we encounter any storm in this life. He is always in the boat with us.

God Bless!