Stay in the “Jesus Boat” and Don’t Take Your Eyes Off Him
In Matthew 8 we read the account of the miracle of Jesus where he calmed the storm.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” – Matthew 8:23-27
The apostles were understandably afraid when this huge storm arose. Before he calmed the waves Jesus told them that they had little faith.
Let’s read the the story about another storm in Matthew 14. In this story we read how Jesus walked on water. Peter also walked on water but when he became afraid Jesus reached out and saves him.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” – Matthew 14:22-33
Right before this incident the apostles had witnessed Jesus feeding the 5,000 with just a few loaves of bread and fish (Matthew 14:13-21). What a miracle that was to witness and it should have built their faith and belief.
Then following the miracle of feeing the 5,000, at dawn the disciples see Jesus walking towards them on the water and He calls out to Peter to “come”. Peter easily walked on–while he was keeping His eyes fixated on Jesus. However, the moment he took his eyes off Jesus, Peter began to sink into the sea.
Peter only became afraid and noticed the danger of the situation WHEN he took his eyes off Jesus. Jesus was ever so merciful and He held out His hand to Peter so he wouldn’t sink, drown and perish.
Reading these miraculous events can bring us encouragement and hope during the times we face “storms” in our life. We too can go to Jesus in prayer and ask for His help and deliverance, asking Him to calm the storms that surround us and know in faith that He is and will be with us.
The lessons taught in these stories are meant to encourage us, enable us to endure and overcome and hang on during perilous times.
- Keep our eyes on Jesus in the midst of our “storms”
- Stay strong in the faith of Jesus
- Pray to God to give us more of His faith
- Rely on Him for He is always Faithful
- Push our fears aside and don’t let them overtake you
- Thank Him for His deliverance and the “peace” that He gives us
As time moves closer and closer toward the end times and the seas around us start to swell and become more unruly, threatening, and wild, we need to be in the boat with Jesus. He will be with us until the end of the age, and/or the end of our days.
What an amazing blessing it is to be called by our Father and put into the hands of His Strong, merciful, Loving and Almighty Son, to work on our character, until He returns in all glory to collect us, not wanting to loose one of us that His Father has given Him.
Until the return of Jesus Christ, keep your eyes fixated on Christ and making sure we are in His Life Boat.
