I hate storms! I particularly hate storms in the middle of the night! And I really particularly hate storms in the middle of the night when I am in my house by myself. I was awakened at 4:00 am by my weather radio letting me know we were under a tornado watch. Since the weather radio is in the living room, I have spent my morning in the living room where I could hear the weather radio if it goes off again and we have had some horrific thunderstorms this morning. Luckily, it didn’t go off again for a tornado, but went off a couple more times to warn me of the coming thunderstorm.
As I sat and listened to the thunder and watched the sky light up by the lightning outside my windows, I was very grateful to be In my house. I thought of the story of the disciples and Jesus in a boat going to the other side and a storm came up.
“One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake and they were filling with water and were in danger.” Luke 8:22-23
Now personally, I don’t blame the disciples for being afraid. I can tell you I am not just shaking with fear when there is a thunderstorm going on outside but I have a healthy respect for them. I don’t like them. And the last place I would want to be is in a boat crossing even my lake where I can see the other side when a storm came up. I would definitely be afraid.
“And they went and woke him, saying ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm.” Luke 8:24
The disciples were afraid because of the wind and the waves and they woke Jesus up and with a word He calmed the storm. Yesterday we touched on the fact that even if Jesus doesn’t calm the wind and the waves in your world that He can calm you. Actually, I misspoke, I said “if Jesus can’t”. Jesus always can and I think that’s what bothers us sometimes is that we know He can and sometimes He doesn’t. We know that with a word, whatever is hurting us, or causing confusion, or calamity in our life, that Jesus could say the word and it all be over. But sometimes He doesn’t. Sometimes He allows the hurt to continue and sometimes it feels like it goes on and on and on and ~ on. And it’s hard to understand. But we have to know too that He is sovereign and that His goal and purpose in each and every storm of our life is that we will find Him.
After Jesus calmed this particular storm he responded to the disciples.
“He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water and they obey him?’” Luke 8:25
The disciples were afraid of the storm and then the disciples were just as afraid after Jesus calmed the storm. They had seen the fullness of God! They saw Jesus’ humanity, in that he slept because his human self was tired. And they saw Him actually speak to a storm and calm it down. I love that this version says “and they marveled”. They knew Him, they had walked with Him, they had listened to Him as He taught, and they had already seen miracles, and yet they didn’t truly believe that they were going to get one themselves. He marveled them!
What has He marveled you with? He has marveled me with so much over the years. I have had prayers that He has answered in such ways that I marvel and I have also had storms He has taken me through instead of calming them in the midst. But one thing I know is that if I am in His presence, even if He doesn’t calm my winds and waves He can calm me. I’m grateful that the storms this morning have almost passed. And they are saying it is going to end up being a beautiful day here after they pass completely. I am also grateful for the storms of my life He has carried me through and the storms of my life that He is still making a way for me to walk through. I am marveled by His grace and His peace in my life but I can only feel them if I keep my eyes fixed on Him, on the one who calms my storms! Won’t you ask Him to marvel you today too!
Restore 