Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, 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 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. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
My wife and I had just gotten our dog. He was (and is) an amazingly well tempered Lab/pit-bull mix. He's a big guy (about 88 lbs) and his name is Jake. We took Jake on an outing to the beach. We wanted to give him a good walk and work with him a little bit on his leash etiquette. We walked about a mile or so then headed back. The entire time we were there other people were really leery of him. He is a big guy that isn't scared of much. He's got a very outgoing personality so he is always anxious to visit with people along the way. He's not scared of the cars or the other dogs or people.
On the way home we decided to get the car washed. We went to a local gas station and rode through the car wash. Jake was happily hanging out in the back until the water started shooting at the car. Once he heard the water hitting the car and saw the soap on the windows he was scared to death. Despite our repeated attempts to calm him down, he would not be satisfied. His only thought was to get out of that car wash immediately. Jake didn't care that we were there and that we weren't worried. All 88lbs of that dog could only focus on one thing. Escape.
The disciples were in the same position in the scripture above. Even though they had been through some experiences with Jesus and were accomplished fishermen, they were still very afraid of the storm and wanted only one thing. To get out of it. They didn't stop to think that Jesus was with them, He was their master, He was in control and He was going to take care of the storm. Their focus was on the storm, not on the sovereignty of Jesus. When we face trials and storms of our own today, are we any different?
Just like Jake and the disciples, we need to learn to focus and trust in Jesus, not on the conditions around us. We often mistake calm seas for a good walk with the Lord. That is not the case. Whether the seas of your life are calm or stormy, Jesus is still with you, He is still in control and will console you if you come to Him. It's easy to have faith in Jesus when life is going well. But true faith only comes from the times of trial and suffering. If your seas are stormy today, don't focus on the storm. Focus on the truth of the one who ensures that you won't be destroyed by it. No matter what storms may rage in your life, Jesus is with you. He is holding you and He won't let you down. It takes faith to know He's there, even when you can't feel Him.
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