This morning I asked God to teach me something about himself.
Then I opened my Bible and he answered my prayer.
Matthew 8:23-27 tells the story of Jesus calming the storm. I've known this story ever since I can remember, but this time He spoke to me through it.
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 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!"
The part of the story that struck me this time was the first thing Jesus said when the disciples came to wake him up.
"You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"
It's a pretty heavy question. Why were they so afraid all of a sudden? Jesus was just as much God during that storm as he was when he was healing the sick and casting out demons and preaching to crowds of thousands of people. Simply because the circumstances were different, the disciples lost their ability to trust God because they were too busy looking at the problem, completely forgetting that the solution was asleep in the bottom of their boat.
Unfortunately, I think God has to ask me that same question a lot. Just because I have a lot of unanswered questions or I'm under a lot of stress I seem to forget that God is still just as much God as when I feel like I have everything under control. God doesn't change, my perspective does. And even though it's not always easy, I need to remember to trust him in all things, not just when it's easy.
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in you. -Isaiah 26:3
