Luke 8:24 (NIV) "The disciples woke him up, shouting "Master, Master we're going to drown!" So Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The storm stopped and all was calm!"
It wasn't an unusual event for Jesus and the disciples to go out in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. This body of water, according to Wikipedia was also referred to as Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias. It is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, 33 miles in circumference, about 13 miles long, and 8.1 miles wide. The lake has a maximum depth of approximately 141 feet. It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake overall after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake. The lake is fed partly by underground springs although its main source is the Jordan River which flows through it from north to south. In other words, it is and was in that day, a very large body of water.
Now if you have ever been on the water when a storm comes up, you will understand the fear these disciples felt. The larger the body of water the fiercer the effects of the wind. Obviously, these men who were accustomed to life on the lake, were not easily shaken, so this must have been quite a dangerous situation. The point in this story that stands out is the fact that Jesus was asleep during this storm! They didn't have a boat with a nice comfy cabin below the deck equipped with a cushioned bed and all the lovelies of home like many modern boats, Jesus was asleep in an open, wooden rig, void of comforts in the midst of a dangerous storm that was about to capsize them! I would call this behavior a huge absence of fear!!
The disciples woke Him and He immediately calmed the storm that was raging all around! Just a word from Jesus and the wind ceased. His rebuke calmed the surge of the waves that had threatened to take them down. What a wonderful thing to have Jesus in the boat!
Life is very much like the Sea of Galilee. Some days it is sunny and calm, all is good. Other days, there's a storm raging, all is not so good. Some days, the fish are plentiful and others, no fish can be found. On one such occasion in Luke 5, Simon Peter, who was a fisherman by trade, had toiled all night with no fish to show for it. Jesus showed up on the shore and told him to go out deep and let down his nets. When Simon did as Jesus said, he caught so many fish that he had to call for help from another boat. There were so many fish in his nets that they filled both ships to the point of nearly sinking the boats!
We need to keep Jesus in our boat and meet with Him continually on the shore for direction in our lives. He is the the calm to our storms and the provider for our needs! He IS peace! He IS provision!
Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.
-George Mueller
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