Lent: Journey Through the Holy Land – Part 20

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”

Matthew 8:23-27

Our first morning in the Galilee we were scheduled to go on a boat ride. But that morning was slightly stormy and it was decided we should postpone that until the afternoon.

It was slightly disappointing, as at the time we didn’t know whether or not we would get a chance to ride out into the sea of Galilee.

Unlike this passage in Scripture, we weren’t in the middle of a storm. Rain sprinkled off and on that morning and it was slightly windy, but it wasn’t a crazy storm.

We go through storms in life. Some are mild and we forget about them over the years, but others are devastating.

Right now our world is in the middle of a storm. Well I’m not sure if we’re in the middle yet, as it keeps building, but we’re in it.

And if you’re like me, in some moments you feel just like the disciples did on the boat that day during the windstorm. You’re calling out to God,

“Lord save us! We are perishing!”

Because if we’re honest, the media is frightening. The social distancing is frightening. The updated warnings and guidelines are frightening. Hearing about schools closing and now restaurants closing is frightening. Watching the city traffic significantly decrease is frightening. Having “free time” at work is frightening. Seeing empty grocery store shelves is frightening. Watching the Dow drop is frightening.

We’re in the storm and with all of these frightening things, it can feel like God is asleep. It can feel like you’re shouting at God:

Wake up! Save us! Can’t you see what is happening?

At the end of the day we were able to enjoy a boat ride on the sea of Galilee. The light rain and slight wind had passed.

We will get through this. And at times it will be hard to have hope and see the light at the end of the tunnel. But God hasn’t left us. He’s right here. We need not be afraid.

Our faith will bring us through. Trust God, rely on him. Spend time in prayer, casting your anxiety and worries on him. If we choose to rely on our faith, it will only draw us closer to him.

Lord my prayer is that You be with us in this storm. May we cast our anxieties and worries on You. Wrap us in Your love and in the comfort of You arms. Let our faith be our rock, our firm foundation. And may we find peace in You as we weather the storm. Amen.

Sometimes the parallels between my experiences in the Holy Land and life since the return are unreal. Each day I’m amazed at what God is opening my eyes to, and how he is at work.

Abbey Jo