Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” (Luke 8:22-25)
So here they are, a small band of disciples fearing for their lives in the middle of a storm, probably like a hurricane, and wondering why God is not intervening…even seems asleep. Forgotten quickly was the fact it was He who had sent them on this journey, and it seems also the fact they recently saw their Lord do so many miracles, signs, and wonders, and even raise people from the dead! Panicked instead, they wake Him up (He wasn’t obviously concerned about the storm), and in His grace He quickly quietens the wind and raging seas, and says simply’ “Where is your faith?”.
We may marvel now at their response, and yet in reality we to have the same response…and perhaps even more so in these days. With the COVID-19 panic spreading over the world, not just because of the disease but due to the response of the authorities, we perhaps forget that Jesus has sent us on this journey of transformation, and He is with us through it even when the storms seem to much. His assurance and call is to stay close to Him, and trust. Sure transformation is painful, and perhaps it needs to be, for the metamorphosis we are going through sees our old nature crushed and changed inside this cocoon of time, and our new wineskin emerge. But the price of freedom, flight, discovery, and eternal identity will need to us surrender, struggle, develop, and breakthrough. And through it all, He is in the boat with us.
Some of us may even be questioning whether we heard His call to us correctly when He sent us on a new journey of faith and discovery, to our new promised land. Let not the storms that come thrown us off course, rather stay the course, cling to Him, and stay in the boat He has given us, for in it is all sufficiency for what we need to make it to His new destination for us. It these trials of fire, perhaps some even sent by Satan, we are refined, but the enemy(s) did not reckon for the fact that we are made of gold. Our Heavenly Father’s see our purity within and wishes us to walk in to the fullness of our divine identity. For the more our faith shines through, the more Christ and His power is made perfect in us, and we become One with Him. In this place we intimately know Him, and He truly knows us.
Have faith, Jesus Christ, the Lord of heaven and earth, is with us in the storms, which He knew were coming, and we will make it to the other side. He is not asleep as some might think, for He never sleeps, but is fully watching over us, and encouraging us on through the trials, to fulfil our true work for Him…to believe.
But He said to me, “My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! (2 Corinthians 12:9 AMPC)
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