Sailing through the Storm

By Greg Laurie

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” – James 4:8

One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side.” So they boarded their boat and were cruising across the Sea of Galilee, a large freshwater lake known for its unexpected storms. And sure enough, a storm came. This one was a doozy, because even the seasoned sailors were despairing of life.

Meanwhile, what was Jesus doing? He was asleep in the boat. The disciples woke Him up and said, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
(Mark 4:38 nkjv). In other words, “Hey, Lord, are You paying attention? Don’t you care that we are going through this? Wake up and do something.”

So Jesus rebuked both the storm and the disciples. He turned to the storm and said, “Peace, be still!” (verse 39 nkjv), and it stopped. But then He turned to His own disciples and said, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (nkjv). Jesus was saying, in effect, “Boys, you haven’t learned anything. I said, ‘Let’s cross over to the other side.’ I didn’t say, ‘Let’s go to the middle of the Sea of Galilee and drown.’ ” Jesus didn’t promise smooth sailing, but He did promise a safe passage.

It’s better to be in a storm with Jesus than anywhere else without Him. I would rather be in a fiery furnace with Jesus than in a palace without Him--or in a lion’s den with Jesus, or in a prison, or even shipwrecked. As long as I know the Lord is there, then I can get through it.

Remember, God is with you, regardless of what storm, regardless of what shipwreck you are going through right now. You are not alone. He cares. And He will never leave you or forsake you.

Heavenly Father, whatever storm life may bring our way, remind us to cling to you. For you are the one who calmed the seas with a single word. Amen.