Matthew 8
December 2, 2022
“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!’”(v23-27)
This was clearly a storm of unusual magnitude - that it frightened seasoned fishermen. I doubt they relished waking up Jesus and showing Him their fear. But the storm was so bad, they thought they were going to die, and so they woke Him up. And Jesus, in His grace, calmed the storm, doing two things for them:
Saving them from physical death
Opening the spiritual eyes of their heart to the fact that He is sovereign over all of creation, so that they don’t need to fear anything
Lord Jesus, I praise You that You are not only the One who created the universe (John 1:3), You also sovereignly oversee every aspect of creation (Col 1:16-17), including every storm (physical and otherwise) that rages against me. Remind me that You are good, that You are for me, and that You are sovereign, especially in situations and circumstances that I don’t like. And may I learn to rest and relax in this knowledge of Your sovereignty, confident that You will either still the storm or sustain me through it.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
