Matthew 8:26

“And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”

Fear… An emotion we are all too familiar with. The emotion that causes us to the think and respond irrationally, makes our heart race, and even makes us feel paralyzed in certain situations. This is the emotion Jesus’ disciples are experiencing in this moment.

Let’s put ourselves in their shoes for a moment… They find themselves in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. I often visualized a small canoe type boat but the reality of it is that it was a larger boat carrying around 15 people, but it still was no match to the furious storm that was overtaking them. On this boat were several fishermen that were extremely familiar with the common storms that would blow in from the mountains east of the sea. It’s clear this was no ordinary storm…. These guys were scared for their lives!

At the stern of the boat is Jesus, exhausted from a long day and catching up on a little “shut eye.” From an outsider’s perspective, it would seem that He was just another ordinary guy taking a nap; however, what we will see in the next few miracles is that Jesus is far from ordinary, and He has authority like no one has ever seen before… divine authority!

I’ve often wondered what the disciples were expecting Jesus to do in that moment… pray to the Father? Give them nautical advice? No… Instead, He stands up and rebukes the wind and waves, causing the sea to become calm. Again, divine authority!

So, what does His authority have to do with fear? Well maybe you don’t find yourself in the middle of an ocean storm with a group of friends on a boat… but if you’re honest, you have some “storms” that are overtaking you. The fear of the unknown is keeping you up at night, making your thoughts run rampant… you know the drill!

If you find yourself in a place of fear and anxiety, my encouragement is this… put all your trust in the One with the divine authority over your circumstances. Cast your burdens on Him! He cares for you!
As I wrap up today’s devotional, I want to share the lyrics of a chorus our worship team shared with us Sunday. It’s a reminder of who Jesus is and the authority He has. There’s no need to fear, He’s got this!

Who walks on the waters
Who speaks to the sea
Who stands in the fire beside me
He roars like a lion
He bled as the lamb
He carries my healing in His hands
Jesus

God bless!
-Taylor