Mark 4:40–41: “But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!'”

January 30th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee by boat, when a strong storm blew up. The disciples were frightened for their lives; as fishermen, they knew what a storm could do to their small fishing boat. But Jesus was so unfazed He was actually sleeping through it. When they finally grew so afraid that they woke Him, He questioned why they were fearful and had no faith, since right before they got in the boat to cross the sea, He had said, “Let us cross over to the other side” (Mark 4:35).

The symbolism in this story can hardly be any clearer. Jesus Christ shares the boat of life with us, so we can be sure that our boat will not sink, no matter how stormy the water gets. He wants us to understand that although the storms of life will come, He is with us. He is there in storms of affliction, hardship, challenges, and heartbreak; and because He is with us, we won’t be destroyed, but will in fact grow in faith and trust.

Pastor and orphanage founder George Muller said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” It is interesting that after Jesus rebuked the wind and it obeyed Him, the disciples “feared exceedingly.” At first, they were fearful of the strength of the natural storm; but after Jesus calmed it, they were fearful of the strength of the supernatural. Jesus was showing them who He was and how much He cared for them. The Ruler of nature commanded the forces of nature to be still, and they instantly obeyed. What problems do you face today? All of nature bows before Him.

“LORD, in the storms of life today, help us to remember that You are in the boat with us, and help us to believe in Your power that is taking us all the way to the other side.”