Have you encountered a time in your life when things seemed to get out of control, and you felt defenseless? Even with God in our lives, we sometimes feel vulnerable. This was the situation with the disciples during Jesus’ ministry. Matthew tells us about an incident when a storm came up while they were fishing.
Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27 NLT
In the Sea of Galilee, it was not unusual for storms to appear over the surrounding mountains with little or no warning. To make matters worse, these storms could produce 20-foot waves. The disciples were well aware of the dangers of such storms and they panicked. Even though they had witnessed many miracles performed by Jesus, they were unaware of the magnitude of His power. But God has power over everything, including the storms of nature.
When we understand the power of God over everything, we realize He also has power over the storms in our lives. He can help us with the problems we face. Have you ever cried out to God to save you from a desperate or uncertain situation? There was probably panic in your voice due to the stress. But Jesus would say “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Just as we see in the scripture for today, He has it all under control. We are not going to drown. He will get us through the situation safely.
The COVID-19 virus is one of those unexpected storms. How many of us are crying out to God? How many of us hear back “Why are you afraid?” There is a reason we are going through this and He will use it for our good. I hear about so many families having more time together for meals and activities around the house. There are neighbors helping neighbors. People are realizing their helplessness and turning to God for hope. That’s what it’s all about. We need God. We need to trust in God. God will calm the storm.
