Church Offline

THE SEA tossed the boat wildly atop waves ten to fifteen feet high, as the violent winds funneled through the east-west aligned hills of Galilee. The experienced fishermen were all too familiar with the ferocious storms, and as the thunder crashed above their voices they struggled, trapped in the basin of the deadly storm. The men slid from one side of the boat to the other, unable to balance themselves long enough to pail water out of the boat.

“The water is coming in too fast!” Peter screamed in fearful panic. “We’ve got to get that water out…keep those buckets going!”

The panic in Peter’s voice – barely audible – was enough to keep the other fisherman moving as quickly as possible.

“How do you expect us to move any faster? We can’t stand up long enough to do anything!” James yelled back.

The waves took turns, crashing into both sides of the boat, rocking it back and forth. The wind howled as the brief, unpredictable lightning flashes gave short glimpses of the dark, raging sea. The other accompanying boats could be seen in the distance.

“Where is he?” James screamed in anger.

“Where is who?” Peter cried, gripping the side of the boat as he pulled himself to his feet.

“The Master!” James yelled.

Waiting on the lightning to allow for a chance to see, the waves smashed into the boat again, throwing Peter backward. Peter tried to grab a hold of anything to keep from falling, but his sandals found nothing to grip beneath his feet but water.

“Peter!” James screamed, as he rushed to help him.

Peter’s head hit the floor of the stern hard, and he screamed in pain. Rubbing the back of his head bewildered, he planted his left hand and felt… His warm arm.

Surprised, Peter yelled out, “Master!” Peter sat up on his knees and shook His arm and pushed on his hip. “Master…wake up!”

His eyes opened, and he immediately felt the water on the right side of his face. His clothing was soaked and his long, stringy hair was drenched in water.

“How can you sleep at a time like this?” Peter asked, with a bit of disgust in his voice.
“Don’t you care that we are about to die?”

Jesus pushed a handful of wet strands of hair behind his ears and rolled from his side onto his back. He sat up and felt the cold water run down his back, as the wind sprayed the cool water on his face. He tilted his head downward and wiped his face with the backside of his right hand, as his body shifted to one side. The boat continued to rock more violently.

His hands, submerged in water, pushed up on the wooden floor, and he stood up. Feeling the water hug his ankles and feet, he braced himself briefly, with one hand on the side of the boat to find his balance.   He looked out into the darkness as the wind beat against his body. He raised his right hand and spread his five fingers.

“P E A C E !” He yelled out in a sustaining voice.

The rain stopped.

The wind ceased.

The waves continued, tossing the boat.

“B E S T I L L !” He commanded in a stern, authoritative voice. He dropped his hand slowly to his side, and felt the light breeze blowing his wet hair, behind him.

A few moments later, the motion of the waves began to quiet, leaving the boat gently rocking under the moonlight, as Peter, James and the others sat in the boat, looking up at Him. Jesus stood in the center of the boat, made brief eye contact with all of them individually…and sighed.
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Ask yourself this question: What kind of man sleeps through a storm?

HE SLEPT peacefully while the others struggled. Not because he didn’t care, but because he was in charge. He was in command. And he had peace. Inner peace. The kind of peace that knows the outcome, and therefore doesn’t need to “lose sleep.” There was nothing that could arise, that he could not handle. There was not anything that could come up, that he could not shut down.

“But he was Jesus, the Son of God…” you might say. Yes, but remember, it was his idea to get in the boat and go the other side of the lake to begin with.

Don’t miss the symbolism.

Jesus doesn’t tell you to go anywhere that he doesn’t go with, as a travel companion. Jesus sails with you in the boat. He’s with you during smooth sailing, and you can best believe He’s there when the storm comes in.

God doesn’t promise you a life of smooth sailing. He does promise you He’ll always be there, and He’ll never leave you or forsake you. Jesus knew when they set out for the “other side” that there would be a storm later that evening. Did he worry? Did he fear the storm’s coming? No. Infact, he was so peaceful, he went to sleep.

What do you do when the storms of life come blowing in?

When an unexpected ailment hits your body, resulting in an expected doctor bill that makes its way to your mailbox? What do you do when she says “it’s over” or he says “we’re finished?” How do you respond when the time off becomes the lay off? When the outgo exceeds the income. When there’s more less than excess? When the dark sky replaces the blue sky?

Be encouraged. Know that everything you encounter has to be approved by God’s permissible will. And if He has permitted it, He’ll see you through it. Storms are part of nature…nature’s way of telling us that there is something more powerful out there, and beyond our control. But they are not out of His control…and He’s in you and with you.  The power to arrest the storms of life are in you.