Who is in Your Boat?

When we encounter the storms of life, our natural response is often to make an escape plan, find a reprieve, or even resort to avoidance. What if the storm is a divine opportunity for revelation? An opportunity for God to reveal something about himself and us.

Matthew 8:23-27

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!”

In this passage, the disciples were overwhelmed with anxiety and fear, and Jesus stated that their faith was too small. Like the disciples, our storms can reveal our deficits, lack of faith, and trust in God; perhaps amid the storm, God desires to reveal something about us about ourselves to lead us to transformation. 

Sometimes, the storm reveals who God is. It reveals His nature, character, and attributes. Learning who God is builds our faith and trust in Him, and we develop greater confidence in His abilities. As the disciples received a revelation of God, they were amazed and asked, ”Who is this man…?” What if God wants you and I to experience that type of revelation where we stand amazed and ask, Who is this man that even sickness and disease obey Him? That even fear and anxiety obey Him? 

We do not know when we will encounter our next storm, but it would be to our benefit to ensure that when we do, the right person is in our boat. Who we let in our boat determines if we get to our final destination and how we get there.
We’d love for you to have a resource that invites you to remember that Jesus is with you through the storm. We have a retreat guide, similar to the guides we use during our Fuller Formation Group Retreats. Download a free silent retreat guide to use in the days or weeks to come as you walk with Jesus through any storm that comes your way.