Much of the earthly ministry of Jesus was centered around the Sea of Galilee. At least two incidents record Jesus and his disciples caught in great storms while sailing across it. The most famous of the two stories is told in Matthew 14 where Peter walks on water towards Jesus walking on the water and then sinks when he takes his eyes off Jesus and fears the waves. Matthew 8 recounts the disciples attempting to cross the sea in a storm that batters the small ship while Jesus sleeps. The disciples fear drowning and wake Jesus, who immediately calms the angry sea.
The fickle sea can represent our earthly life. As we navigate through it the waters are sometimes calm and pleasant and there is easy sailing. Yet there will also be times of stormy distress when we turn to Jesus for help, to the One who walks on water and commands the raging waves to cease.
Here are four truths we must consider as essential to our survival in even the roughest seas:
- The presence of Jesus on board is no guarantee of smooth sailing.
It is a common misconception of young believers that the Christian life is always smooth sailing. The great relief of being “born again” (John 3:7) is invigorating, but the old man of sin still works against the new life within each of us to bring discouragement and defeat. The song “God walks the dark hills” sung by Vestal Goodman of the old group “The Happy Goodman Family” is particularly reassuring to me during the stormy periods of life.
God walks the dark hills, the ways, the byways.
He walks in the billows of life’s troubled seas.
He walks in the cold dark night, the shadows of midnight.
God walks the dark hills just to guide you and me.
There will be times when we feel we are drowning. Life’s sea will bring challenges even with Jesus “onboard.” It is at these times we must by faith accept the difficulty and trust Jesus, perhaps not visually “walking on water” but by the Holy Spirit who indwells us. (John 16:7)
- The arrival of a storm does not mean Jesus has left us alone.
In the Matthew 8 story Jesus was fast asleep in the back of the boat while the disciples faced being swamped by the raging waves. In the Matthew 14 story the situation was again dire, with contrary winds and waves tossing the ship about.
At times like these it is tempting to assume that Jesus has abandoned us, but Hebrews 13:5 reassures us: “He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”
The song quoted above, “God walks the dark hills” likewise reminds us that our Savior “walks in the cold dark night, the shadows of midnight”. The trials and troubles of life often seem most alarming at night when Satan attacks our thoughts, testing our faith, but Jesus is surely aware of our distress and will respond to our calls for help
- Never lose faith in a storm if the Lord seems indifferent to our trouble.
Indifference is most often understood as lack of interest or not caring about our problems by one in whom we place our confidence. When battling a boisterous storm, it is difficult to see Jesus responding in a way that inspires confidence, but the fact is, He is always near even though it seems He might be asleep! This reminds me of Jonah as he flounders after being thrown overboard by the ship’s crew (Jonah 1;15a). Little did Jonah know that God had prepared a great fish to save him; and not only him but a great city of over 100,000 souls (Jonah 1:2).
Like Jonah and the disciples of Jesus I have often wondered if God is unaware of my problems. Is He indifferent? Does He really care? I am reminded of the old hymn, “Does Jesus care?”
“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song.
As the burdens press, and cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long.”
And the answer always is:
“Oh yes, he cares, I know he cares
His heart is touched with my grief.
When the days are dreary, the long nights weary,
I know my Savior cares.”
IV. Jesus first calms our fears before he calms the storm.
It is natural to revert to panic when in distress, just like the disciples in the boat! Yet in Hebrews 11 we read the phrase “by faith” that precedes each hero’s response to contrary circumstances, and it is such faith that God seeks to build in us as we endure the storms of life. When Jesus arose from sleep and walked to the bow of the boat to rebuke the winds and the sea, the Scripture says, “there was great calm.” (Matthew 8:26).
I suspect Jesus had been waiting for the disciples to exercise their faith in him prior to calming the storm. Jesus was aboard all along while the storm was raging but it was not until the disciples came to him for help that he arose and not only calmed the sea but also their fears. There will likewise come a time in every Christian life when we must exercise our faith, realizing that only Jesus can help our situation. When we do trust Him and call out to Him, He will calm our fears and meet our need (though not always in a way or at a time that we might prefer).
Perhaps recalling the above four steps will help us as we navigate the great “sea of life.”