Read: Matthew 8:23-27
Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (v. 26)
Life is not like going to a restaurant where you can choose whatever you want—good experiences only, please! Instead, we’ll all experience things in life that make us laugh, but also things that make us cry. Sometimes, it even feels like a storm hits our life’s boat.
The disciples were frightened when their boat was hit by a storm, so they woke Jesus up. Jesus commanded the storm to stop, but Jesus also rebuked his disciples for being so quick to panic when the storm hit. The disciples had missed a lesson; earlier in this chapter (vv. 5-10), Jesus had praised a Roman centurion for believing that if Jesus wanted to, then Jesus could just give a command and all those he commanded would obey him.
There are two things that can prevent us from experiencing God’s power at work when trouble comes. The first is when we cause the trouble ourselves. When we cheat in business, are unfaithful to our spouse, use violence and so on, we have essentially punctured our own boats. In such a situation, it is inappropriate to ask Jesus just to bail us out; the first step when we’ve caused trouble is to repent and confess our sin before crying out for Jesus’s mercy in calming the storm. Secondly, we must remember that our story begins with the statement, “And when he got into the boat” (v. 23). Have you invited Jesus into your boat?
As you pray, ask God to be present in your life and teach you to live according to his will.
Paulus Sugeng Widjajais a lecturer of Christian Ethics and Peace Studies, Faculty of Theology, at Duta Wacana Christian University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This devotional was previously published in Wasiat, a bi-monthly daily devotional for families, produced by Words of Hope ministry partners in Indonesia. Learn more about Words of Hope's work in Indonesia.
