With Jesus in the Storm

He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. —Matthew 8:26, NASB

Have you ever thought about which day you would choose to spend with Jesus while He walked on Earth if you had the chance? And why exactly would you choose that particular day? Let us do a quick exercise. Read the story from the Bible, then close your eyes, imagine the scene, and then imagine yourself there. What do you hear? What are people saying? Do you see Jesus? What is He doing and saying? Linger in that moment.

Concentrate on the images. How do you feel in that situation? Now, let us snap back to the present moment. How do you feel now? You may think this is a strange exercise, but I want you to ponder the emotions you felt. Because when we are with Jesus, He changes our lives and turns everything around for good. The story of Jesus calming the storm comes to my mind. It is a good story to use with this exercise. After a tiring day, Jesus and His disciples got into a boat and began to cross the lake. There were other people who also followed them in boats. A terrible storm began. The disciples tried to keep the boat afloat by bailing out water as fast as they could—just like us, with our problems, trying to work them out on our own.

Though they forgot that Jesus was with them, He was still there.

When they realized their efforts were in vain, they remembered Jesus. The solution was right in front of them, and they cried out, “Master!” Can you imagine that moment? Jesus rises with peace on His face and commands the sea to be still. The waves cease, and Jesus asks the men, “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26, KJV).

That is the day I would like to be with Jesus. What a powerful reminder of the many storms of life I have had and how I tried to solve things with my own intelligence and strength, but it did not help. This story reminds me that Jesus is there, in front of me, waiting for me to ask Him for help. I can almost hear Him say, “Ceci, why are you afraid? Don’t you have faith?” Let us turn to the Creator of the winds and waves, who alone can calm the storms of life and bring us peace.

Cecilia Nanni