Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So, the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Matthew 8:23-27
One of the greatest things I have learned in the past year is the good fruit that comes from staying prepared. We all know the parable of the ten virgins. Five were prepared and five weren’t. It’s important that we not only prepare for what lies ahead but that we stay prepared.
The man in the first story knew what needed to be in place to weather a storm. He made sure everything was ready and then he slept peacefully. He was naturally prepared and that is important.
Jesus also knew what was necessary to sleep through a storm. His preparation was in the spirit. He prepared by spending time with God. By renewing His mind to the Word of God. By exercising His faith daily. When the storm arose, he slept. While everyone else around Him was panicking – He slept.
Why did they panic? They were not spiritually prepared. Because they were not, they looked at the storm when they should have been looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of their faith. They were not blind to who He was – they had seen Him in action. Yet the storm demanded their attention.
Today, keep your eyes on Jesus, not the approaching storm. We can rest, knowing through Jesus, we already have the victory – if we keep our eyes on Him.
What did Jesus do when they woke Him? He spoke to the storm. We can do the same thing. Today, begin to declare peace, be still, to your heart. Declare it to your nation. Command peace to enter the atmosphere. Don’t be like the disciples and panic. Be like Jesus, speak to the approaching storm and then rest – Jesus is still in the boat.
