Record: “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Reflect: Humanity and divinity collide once again as mere mortals are exposed to the presence and power of the omnipotent almighty…Jesus. This brief account sets sail with a weary Jesus sound asleep in the boat. Without warning a serious squall arises and the boat begins to get swamped.  The reaction of the disciples is akin to what many of us do when a serious storm arises in our lives. We can find ourselves in panic mode, reacting with peak emotions, steering ourselves directly toward the worst-case scenario. “Jesus! Wake Up! We’re all going to DIE!”

Jesus made a direct correlation between the disciples’ response to their dire circumstances and the depth of their trust in Him. “Where is your faith?” I can’t sit in judgment of their reaction in the stress and duress, because I would have been howling right along with the wind. Jesus’ demonstration of power proved that He is able to provide for us the safety and security that we long for, because He is in control of all of the elements of our circumstances.

There is no doubt that the situation was serious. As the waves crashed over the sides of the boat, Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and stilled the raging waters. The response of Jesus to the impending need left the disciples with a very real sense of security, that Jesus was an ever-present help in the time of trouble. And the far-reaching expanse of His power was shown, reaching from the highest heavens to the deepest seas.When the howling squall died down, the disciples responded in fear and amazement. In short, they worshiped. They began to get a clearer picture of Jesus… for who He is and what He does.

Respond: Lord, when the winds begin to blow in my life, may I not jump to emotionally charged conclusions. May I trust in Your power, and understand that You are in control. And when the squalls rage, may I rest in Your presence at the center of the storm, knowing that all of the elements of my circumstance are obedient to You. And through it all, may I have a true sense of Your calm, knowing that He who brought peace to the waters, cares more for my heart that the waves. You have a reason for the rain and a purpose for the pain. May those purposes be fulfilled for Your glory.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 29th, 2006 at 5:02 am and is filed under Daily Readings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.