96. Sovereign

Luke 8:25

Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”

Reflect

Jesus and his disciples were in a boat in the middle of a huge lake. A squall came up and the boat was going down. Jesus was asleep. His disciples woke him and he calmed the storm. The disciples were both amazed and frightened and they asked the question, “Who can control the wind and the waves?” Luke left this question hanging because it’s a question Luke wanted his readers to answer.

Luke gradually reveals the identity of Jesus throughout his gospel – something often lost to us as most of us know how the whole story ends! It’s hard to imagine reading Luke’s gospel for the first time. Perhaps this is why the disciples call Jesus ‘Sir’ and not ‘Lord’ as his identity hasn’t yet been fully revealed. However, the disciples were left asking, “Who is this person?” Luke wants us to ask the same question. Who has authority over nature? If you asked the same question to any first century Jewish person, the answer would always have been the same, “God alone”. The implications are huge. No wonder the disciples spoke out of both fear and amazement. How would you feel if you discovered that the guy you were hanging out with was God?

I once asked my daughter Gemma, when she was aged 10, what this Bible story was all about. She replied, “Well that’s obvious isn’t it? To trust God in every circumstance.” I think she pretty much nailed it. We can identify with the disciples can’t we? We often find ourselves in the midst of events beyond our control, and we wonder if God is aware or even watching. Of course, the storms of life are not always meteorological. There are many situations in which we doubt God’s goodness and feel abandoned. We cry, “We’re going to drown!”

Perhaps spend a moment now, thinking about the storms that rage or have raged around your own life. Have you ever felt like you were drowning? Our response should be like that of the disciples, to turn to Jesus, for it’s when we turn to Jesus that we find that our faith deepens.

Do

Today, whatever trials and difficulties you face, have faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He’s not asleep, indifferent or uncaring. He’s the Lord of all creation.

Pray

Holy God
When I’ve come to the end of myself,
and things are beyond my control;
when it feels like the storms of life
are swamping me and I have no room to breathe;
help me put my faith in you,
to trust that you have sovereign control,
and will never let me drown.
This day and for ever.
Amen

Think

What does it say about the nature of God, that he doesn’t shield us, but stands with us in the storms of life?