Completely Calm
Read This Week: Matthew 8
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 NIV
There is a famous saying that goes: Keep Calm and Carry On! It originated in Britain as a motivational and inspirational motto of the people to persevere during the trials and horrors of World War II. It was a rallying cry of hope and faith that things would be okay in their darkest hours. The presence of Jesus in our lives does the same for us. It gives us the ability to stay calm in the middle of our struggles. It allows us to keep going with strength and resolve despite fatigue, exhaustion, and hopelessness.
The part of this passage in Matthew 8, where the storm hits the boat that the disciples and Jesus are aboard, shows us that we can persevere while facing critical moments if we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to put our faith and confidence in Christ. It also shows that we often want God to do something miraculous in our lives when He wants to do something miraculous in us that becomes the proof of our faith.
This outward expression of trust in the power of God is why Jesus questioned the disciples in verse 26. We allow unbelief and the inability to see what He wants to do in and through us to cause us to have little faith and be so afraid. Fear places distance between our hearts and the faith and trust we need in God alone. Instead of crying out to the Lord to save us during the most crucial and violent parts of the storm, we often decide to rescue ourselves.
We look at the effect of the wind on the waves and at the waves themselves when we should have been looking to Jesus, who has ultimate authority over both. He can simultaneously soothe the circumstances that have us distressed while keeping us spiritually, emotionally, and physically calm in the process. The end of verse 26 tells us that the wind and the waves were completely calm after Jesus spoke peace to them. He can do the same to anything on our journey. But until we fully trust Father God in and out of trouble, we do not know how much faith is within us. We have not fully realized how powerful God is until we allow Him full authority to keep us calm in the storm.
Life can take us to the brink where we feel like we have nothing left. It can take us to the end of ourselves to exhaustion and depletion. But, when we trust Jesus and let Him empower us and regenerate that strength inside us, we will stay completely calm and carry on. We will testify as they did in the boat and say to ourselves and the world: What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him! Then we will obey and follow Him and go further than we ever thought we could go.
We all go through storms in life, troubles, issues and all of the rest. It’s part of the human condition. However, our lot is to live in this world, for now, but we are not of it. We are sons and daughters of God. And He who is in us is greater than anything this world can throw at us. So we must not be afraid or stressed-out. We must get our focus off of the attack and on God who has the ability to calm the storms and bring among other things, comfort, peace and victory.
Lord, may you help us to be bold and courageous, to keep our eyes on you God, and to represent well.
I appreciate this word of encouragement so much, Ken. This stood out to me because of the emphasis you place on our focus: We must get our focus off of the attack and on God who has the ability to calm the storms and bring among other things, comfort, peace, and victory.
Oftentimes, that is the key to our perspective, attitude, and faith – where and on whom is our focus. May our vision and focus go to Jesus first and not on the wind and waves of the storms in our lives. From Him alone comes peace, comfort, and victory.
There is a lot of wonderful healings going on in this chapter, so what if you asked God for healing and it didn’t happen, or it took years before you were healed, or maybe you saw a loved one who didn’t get healed until they went home to be with Jesus. I have seen a lot of healings since I became a Christian, a child of God. I have had different healings in my life. I have had 2 frozen shoulders, one that took around 2 1/2 years and the other less than a year. I learned a lot through all that. I begged for the pain to be gone but then I started to ask God what to do. But I learned to trust God.
I learned to continue to minister through that time. I learned to go through it with Jesus. I almost had surgery, 3 women told me not to do it the week I was supposed to have it, I canceled it. For me, I’m glad I didn’t because I ran into a woman that did have it and said it was worse, and she had to work it out anyways. We all go through difficulties in life, like Paul sharing one of his in 2 Corinthians he learned to rejoice in his pain and suffering.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 says, I asked the *Lord 3 times to take the pain away from me. But he said to me ‘My free goodness is all that you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.’ Therefore, I am happy to *boast about my weakness so that Christ’s power may protect me. So, because I love Christ, I *rejoice in weaknesses. I rejoice in hurtful things that people say. I *rejoice when I suffer. I *rejoice in cruel *treatment for what I believe. I *rejoice in difficulties. Because when I am weak, then I am strong.
I want to encourage you today, if you’re going through a hard time, remember that God loves you, don’t run from God, go through your difficulties with Him, learn, grow, get stronger by trusting God, let your faith grow stronger, it’s worth it. Remember, rejoicing, praising God, seeking Jesus in the middle of the storm, learning, growing with Father God. Get closer to Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is so important when you’re going through life daily. God knows and He loves you very much, He will help you through it.
Thank you so much for this post, commentary, and your personal testimony of faith through the storms in your personal life, Heidi. I think everyone who reads this will be able to relate to you in their own lives and seasons. I also appreciated the way you tied the spiritual themes in Matthew 8 into 2 Corinthians 12. This is so needed for all of us on a regular basis as Christians trying to live in and navigate this life. This part stood out and blessed me:
Remember, to rejoice, praise God, and seek Jesus in the middle of the storm. To learn and grow with Father God. Getting closer to Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is so important when you’re going through life daily. God knows and He loves you very much. He will help you through it.
A storm is not a death sentence or the end and I’m thankful that you reminded us of this. It is just a space or moment in time and God certainly knows and has the power, authority, and preeminence to not only help us through it but thrive through each one.
Thank you, God, for you’re so faithful! This is a great song about doing life with Father God daily and walking by faith in Jesus.
“Walk by Faith”
Jeremy Camp
Would I believe You when You say
Your hand will guide my every way?
Would I receive the words You say
Every moment of every day?
Well, I will walk by faith
Well, even when I cannot see
Well, because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Well, help me to rid my endless fears
You’ve been so faithful for all my years
With one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do
Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Well, I will walk by faith
Well, even when I cannot see
Well, because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Well, I’m broken (broken)
But I still see Your face
Well, You’ve spoken (spoken)
Pourin’ Your words of grace
Well, I will walk by faith
Well, even when I cannot see
Well, because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
Well, I will walk by faith
Well, even when I cannot see
Oh, well, because this broken road
Prepares Your will for me
I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith, I will walk by faith
(Well, Hallelujah, well, Hallelu-) faith, yeah-yeah-yeah
(Well, Hallelujah, well, Hallelu-) well, faith, faith, yeah-yeah-yeah
(Well, Hallelujah, well, Hallelu-) Yeah, I will walk, I will walk
Whoa, I will walk by faith
(Well, Hallelujah, well, Hallelu-) I will, oh, yeah, I will
Well, I will walk by faith
(Well, Hallelujah) well, Hallelujah
This is such a powerful song and one I had not heard in a long time. But it is perfect for this chapter and always relevant to us as believers and those wanting to walk by faith in Jesus through this life. This part really stood out to me when I went and listened to it:
Well, help me to rid my endless fears
You’ve been so faithful for all my years
With one breath You make me new
Your grace covers all I do.
Wow! It is amazing how when you read what was in the song it comes alive again. It’s so wonderful that His grace does cover us. Thank you, Jason.
I love that too about songs. It’s like being surprised by joy! I’m so thankful that His grace covers us.
God gave me a poem this week from Matthew 8 verses 23-27:
I’m staying in this boat, I’m going with the flow
For Jesus will steer me in the way I should go.
I will not be afraid, I’ve nothing to fear
For in this boat with me, Jesus is here.
I’m sticking with this ship, Perish I will not.
With Jesus at my side, I’ve no dread of thought.
What that means to me is that I’m not going to sink, my faith will keep me afloat. There’s no way I will go down when Jesus is in control. I’m keeping this boat for I know the winds and sea and it will obey Jesus commands as long as I am faithful to Him.
This is such a beautiful, artistic offering to God and the message of Matthew 8, Jeri. There are wonderful promises in your words and prose. My mind’s eye and heart kept coming back to the hope of this stanza:
I’m sticking with this ship, Perish I will not.
With Jesus at my side, I’ve no dread of thought.
I want to stick with Jesus and know that I will not ultimately perish and that my thoughts can be captured by Him. Thoughts of the good things He has for me in this life and ultimately in the next.
This week I have a song to share. It is called, “Building Our Foundation”:
We are building our foundation, building our foundation
We are building our foundation with our Lord
We are seeking you more and more
Trusting, believing with our hearts
The more we seek you
The more we become strong in your spirit
We are building our foundation
Becoming stronger in our faith
Always opening our doors for our neighbors
Helping each other becoming stronger in our faith
Building our foundation with our Lord
Yes, we are building our foundation, building our foundation
We are building our foundation with our Lord. Amen.
Always remember Jesus is always with us. Even, when we think we are alone, we’re not. He never forsakes us and will always love us.
I love this, Alma. Welcome back to A Week in the Life. I have missed your songs of worship to God on the blog of late. You are a blessing. This post was a tremendous accompaniment to Matthew 8 and the faith we have in Jesus. This was a part that really ministered to me:
We are seeking you more and more
Trusting, believing with our hearts
The more we seek you
The more we become strong in your spirit
I’m thankful for the promise from Jesus that if we seek God, we will find Him. If we knock on His door, He will open it to us, and the more we do so, the more we know Him and the deeper and richer our life with Him will be.
Thank you so much! I love all of your encouraging words. I’m so glad to be a part of this ministry. I feel so blessed.
You are a big part of this ministry and an encouragement to so many including me. You are a blessing!
Matthew 8 was a chapter on healing and later on Jesus calming the storm. With healing those who were sick, Jesus could heal with His word, or with a touch. He healed those with incurable diseases, but he also healed those with smaller problems. The moment He saves your soul, he gives you the strength to serve in your appointed position. He gives you gifts and you will be able to use them. Serving Jesus is a wonderful evidence of being restored to Spiritual health. The healing work of your Savior cost Jesus something. It came at the cost of His own agony. Later on in the chapter Jesus calmed the storm. Jesus was upset with the disciples fear because fear and unbelief go together. If you trust Me as you should trust Me, there is no fear. No matter what your circumstances are, and you feel as if a storm is raging around you, I am there with you in the midst of it, and I will walk you through it. Get your focus off the battle you are going through, and put your focus on Me. Trust Me!
What this said to me was Jesus can heal anything, any person, any situation, any hurt we have. I just have to trust Him. I will serve Him in the midst of the storms. I will stay focused on Him rather than on what I am facing. I will keep my eyes on Jesus.
What a hopeful message this is, Kathy: What this said to me was Jesus can heal anything, any person, any situation, any hurt we have. I just have to trust Him.
Thank you for always encouraging others with your commentary and insight into God’s word especially around the subjects of faith, trust, and belief in the storms of life. You are a blessing.
Thank you so much Jason! Your words are always so encouraging to all of us! You are a blessing to all of us, and God is using you in mighty ways. I have been struggling lately and got behind on sharing, but I am getting back on track with Papa God.
Thank you so much, Kathy! You are a constant encouragement and blessing to me. I know the Lord is using you in tremendous ways for his kingdom. I am sorry to hear of your struggles. I will be praying for you. Many blessings and peace to you, my friend.