More than ten years ago, I went with a touring group to Israel. As we rode in the morning sunshine in an open-decked boat on Lake Galilee, we met a similar boat. In the picture I snapped, that boat appears to glide on clear, blue glass, so calm is the water.

But Galilee's water is not always so smooth: Winds can descend from the surrounding hills raising frightening waves, as they did one day when Jesus, with His disciples, rode in a boat there.

In our morning devotion on the water, we heard this passage:

Matthew 8:24-27 – Without warning, 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!" (NIV)

Sometimes, we slide along smoothly in the sunshine of life. But frightening winds can descend upon us: false accusations, health problems, realizations of our own inadequacies and sins, the death of a friend, loss of employment.

We can feel like crying out, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" And though Jesus might see how little faith we have, He will accept that little faith, calm our storms, and ask, "Why are you so afraid?" He, who rebuked the winds and the waves, has not lost His power: He remains the same kind of Man, the Man who promises, "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b NIV). It is this Man who even assures us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV).

In all our changing scenes in life, in both our calm and stormy days, may we listen to our Lord saying, "I the Lord do not change" (Malachi 3:6a NIV).

Prayer: Dear Lord, we praise You for the many sunny days that You give us. We ask You to help us to trust You more and more to calm our fears in our very changing circumstances. Keep us remembering that You are the Man of power, the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that You will not allow the storms of life to overtake us. Thank You that You love us with an everlasting love and even have an eternal home awaiting us in heaven. Amen.

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