And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Have you felt alone when you experienced difficult circumstances? Our struggle becomes harder and even unbearable when we walk through hard things alone. We look for a safe place in our struggle, where we can find help or at least feel better.
Jesus being at rest during the storm wasn’t reassuring to the disciples. When the waves got rough, they took His undisturbed demeanor as a disregard for their safety instead of an indicator of His authority as the Prince of Peace. We can do the same thing. We get lost in pain and stress of the storms of life, and we wonder how Scripture could apply to us or why this thing is even happening in the first place. We wrestle with the same questions as the disciples in these moments: Am I alone in my struggle? Does God really care?
God’s care for and presence with us often looks different than we expect. Like the disciples, we start to look for God’s action when our panic sets in. But Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very ready help in trouble.” This is the One who was with the disciples in the storm. His presence with them was all the power and assurance they needed, if only they would remember who He was. God the Son had come down from heaven to be with them—even in the middle of that storm. He was that ready help in trouble and refuge even while He slept.
God has gone to great lengths to be with us: He gave us His Son, who died for our sin and was raised again to life. His presence may feel quiet, and we may interpret it as a disregard for us, but nothing could be further from the truth. He has never changed. He has always been with us, and He will be with us even as the winds and the waves rage.
- When have you felt alone in your struggle or believed God didn’t care?
- Who in your life needs to be reminded that God is with them in the storm?
- Pray for someone who is struggling with his or her faith.
