Whose boat are you in?
I heard a wonderful devotional yesterday that spoke straight to my heart. It was taken from Luke 8:22-25 where Jesus calms the storm.
Jesus and the disciples were in the boat and set out to the other side of the lake. As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake and the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
I’ve been there. I’ve been sailing through life and suddenly out of nowhere a storm comes up and I am caught off guard. Or even if it’s something I know about but afraid to dive into, the waves of uncertainty or insecurity can overwhelm me and I feel like I am drowning.
“Master, Master we’re going to drown!” the disciples called out.
Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters and the storm subsided and all was calm. Just like that.
In this tiny passage we see both Jesus’ humanity (His need for rest and time away from the crowds) and Jesus’s deity, because only God can make the “wind and water obey” (Luke 8:25). With one quick word from Jesus, the sea became calm.
Storms in life come and they are real and they are frightening but we need to remember who this is, asleep in the boat. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus.
The storm is not where you face the enemy. The storm is where you meet your God.
God never promised we will never see a storm in life (in fact, we are told to expect trouble, John 16:33). Rather, God promised that we will never be alone in the storm. God’s children will never be left alone in the midst of trouble; with perseverance they will overcome (Deuteronomy 31:8; James 1:12).
The moral of the story? I want to be in the boat that Jesus is in!
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So with that said, in a boat with Jesus, I am sailing over to the Today’s Teens Conferencethis Saturday. I am honoured to be giving the Keynote address to the Pastors, Youth Pastors, and Youth Leaders from all over Canada.
On Sunday morning join me in welcoming back Mike Gordon. Mike will be mc’ing the Today’s Teen Conference and since he is in town he decided to hang out with us!
Plan to stay with us for a short, fun and very entertaining Annual General Meeting, immediately following the service. A light lunch will be served.
Looking forward to worshipping with you on Sunday!