JESUS IS IN THE BOAT
“You rule the oceans.
You subdue their storm tossed waves.
Powerful is Your arm!
Strong is Your hand!
Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength!”
Psalm 89:9, 13

Early in His ministry, Jesus was busy healing the sick, lame, and blind. Most days found Him healing and teaching huge crowds. One day when Jesus saw the crowd surrounding Him, He told His disciples to get the boat ready so they could cross to the other side of the lake.

Meanwhile, one of the teacher’s of the law said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests but the Son of Man has no place even to lay His head.” In other words, it may be very difficult where I go, be sure that is what you want.

Then another disciple said, “Lord, let me first return home to bury my father.” Seems like a reasonable request, right? He would be showing respect and honor to his father by making sure he had a proper burial.

But Jesus said, “Follow Me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.” Wow! Your commitment to Me comes first and foremost before anything, even family ties. If you follow Me you are all in for the long haul, no matter what comes. I believe Jesus is also saying, “Don’t allow those who reject Me keep you from following Me.”

So, then Jesus got in the boat and the disciples began rowing across the Sea of Galilee, leaving the crowd on the shore, although many boats followed them. Jesus promptly laid down in the stern of the boat, having found a cushion for his head. He was a busy man and so took the opportunity for a nap.

Suddenly, a fierce storm hit the sea. Strong winds blasted across the water, and waves heaved the boat high. Many times the waves broke over the bow of the boat, spilling water into the boat. It probably wasn’t a real small boat, maybe able to carry 15 or 20 people, but yet it was thrown around like a little stick on the mighty waves.

Now I’ve been on Fort Peck when the wind is blowing causing the high waves to spill over the bow and it’s a scary thing to be at the mercy of the water and wind. I imagine those people in the other boats wished they hadn’t set out to follow Jesus. How many of them, I wonder, turned back? How many stood firm to see the glory of God?

The disciples rowed like crazy trying to keep the boat headed into the wind, yet the waves were spilling water into the boat so it was filling up rapidly.

“We’re going to sink!” one of them cried. “And look Jesus is sleeping.”

Peter crawled back to Jesus, shook Him and cried, “Jesus, don’t you care that we are going to drown?”

Jesus woke up and immediately rebuked the winds and waves. Now what do you say to the wind? Can you imagine yelling at the wind, “You be still now! You hear!” I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work.

Yet Jesus said, “SILENCE! BE STILL!”

Suddenly the wind quit blowing. There was a great calm over the sea.

I’ve seen a big blow on Fort Peck with the waves breaking high on the shore. But when the wind quits the waves don’t stop immediately. Sometimes they keep heaving and rolling for hours after the wind dies down.

Yet when Jesus said, “Be Still,” there was an immediate calm on the waters. Amazing!

Then Jesus asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Oh isn’t that me?

“Do you STILL have no faith? After all you’ve been through, after all I’ve done for you and you still don’t trust Me? Jesus asks when I become upset because John’s knee surgery is postponed and he has to go see a hematologist/oncologist to check out his low white blood count.

The waves rise. The wind blasts. The water is pouring into the boat.

“I can’t walk on the water, I can’t do it, Lord!  I’m going to sink!”

Yet Jesus is in the boat.

“Don’t you trust me, yet?” He whispers. “Don’t you know who I am? Don’t you know I am in the boat with you? I have this. I am in control.”

Lets look at some other sea travelers:
“Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world. They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action, His impressive works on the deepest seas.

He SPOKE and the winds ROSE, stirring up the waves. Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths. The sailors cringed in terror. They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.

He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness, as He brought them safely into harbor!” Psalm 107:23-30

“Following Me isn’t always easy,” Jesus says, “much of the time it’s down right hard. Yet, I made the storm and I will calm it. When the time comes.

Make no mistake friends, Jesus is mightier than the storms. He is mightier than these waves that crash over my head. He is mightier than the wind that blows me down. He is mightier than any storm that rages across the planet. He is mightier than ALL my problems, and  ALL of yours.

He can walk on water and stop the wind blowing with a word. But most important He says, “Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here.”

Jesus is in the boat, friend. He is with me all the time. On the storm tossed sea. On the sun kissed prairie. Forever.

In His power, I can walk on water, when I keep my eyes on Him, when I rely on Him for everything. Oh I may sink, the storm may overcome me, but He is there to pull me out of the waves. Always.

He may cause the storm to rise, or He may allow it, but in His time, He will stop the wind and there will be calm. It may not always be the way I want it or envision it. Yet He does what is best for me. Just think about the boats that turned around and went back to shore, they never saw the miracle. They never knew Jesus.

You don’t think that Jesus knew that storm was coming? I’m sure He did and yet He still told His disciples to row out into the sea. It happened just the way He and the Father planned. It was all for His glory, so they would see who He is and learn to rely on Him.

Jesus is in the boat and He is mightier than these.

“The Lord is King! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial. You, Yourself, are from the everlasting past.

The floods have risen up, O Lord. The floods have roared like thunder. The floods have lifted their pounding waves.

But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the Lord above is mightier than these!

Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O Lord, is holy forever and ever!”

Psalm 93

 Story from Mathew 8:14-27 and Mark 4:35-41