Two years ago, during a long-desired pilgrimage to the Holy Land, one of the most memorable places I’ve visited is Galilee. I can’t forget that serene feeling I had while my group and I sat in an old boat to cruise the sea.
That morning, the water was so calm that I can understand why one evening, as we read in Luke 8:22-25, when Jesus had been teaching and healing for a long time, and the people kept coming and coming, He told His disciples (possibly Peter), “We will go in your fishing boat and row over the water to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.” There He would be able to rest and be quiet, because there were no people on that side.
So the disciples followed Jesus and He went to the end of the boat, put His head on a little pillow (or cushion) and fell fast asleep at once because He was so tired.
When they started it was quite calm but as they rowed across the sea, the wind began to rise and the waves became rougher, crashing into the boat and filling it with water. The disciples, though most were fishermen, began to be afraid.
But where was Jesus all this time? He was still fast asleep at the end of the boat. The water must have been making His clothes wet, yet still He went on sleeping.
Why did it take Him long to help the frightened fishermen? He is the Son of God so He should have known right away that there was danger. But the fishermen had to wake Him up and cry out “Lord, save us. We are perishing! We shall all drown in a minute.” Jesus did not react quickly.
Just like in another incident also in the Sea of Galilee. In Matthew 14:22-33, after feeding the 5000 people listening to His sermon, Jesus sends his disciples ahead of him in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. Deeper into the night, the disciples encounter a storm again. Then they saw Jesus walking on the water. This terrified the disciples who think they are seeing a ghost. Jesus tells them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
Why did Jesus make His disciples get into the boat? Why did he wait until 3 a.m. when the disciples were in extreme fear?
In both incidents in the Sea of Galilee, Jesus seemed not in a hurry to help. He allowed the disciples to go through extreme conditions before He presented Himself. He’s not a sadist, but instead of preventing a trial or difficulty, Jesus wanted to demonstrate, in an unforgettable way, that He would do whatever was necessary to rescue them. And He continues to do this for all of us today.
Jesus’ very object is to test our faith and the lesson we always need to take is: Trust Him, trust God.
Actually we are never out of God’s sight. We will never find ourselves anywhere the Lord can not find us. Isn’t that comforting?
During the first storm, Jesus commanded the wind and the raging sea, “Peace! Be still!” And immediately, the storm stopped – just like that. It didn’t gradually calm down. The storm stopped at once, the moment the Lord Jesus spoke. There was a great calm – that means everything was still and quiet.
In the second incident of walking on the water, Jesus questioned the fearful disciples, “Why are you afraid, you men with little faith?” Then He stood up in the rocking boat, with the water rushing over His feet, and He walked on the water.
There is never a valid reason to fear, nor to be anxious. There are no storms in life that Jesus can not subdue in His time. Note “in His time.” Sometimes we think that God is sleeping because our sufferings continue, but again, God knows when the good time is for us in His perfect time, not in the time we want things to happen.
We just need to trust that when His time comes, all our waiting and trials and sufferings will turn out for our own good after all.
I’ve had many experiences like these. When the solution comes for my problem in a time when I thought there’s no more hope, I smile and realize, without regret, why it is the perfect time because something good actually happened to me while waiting.
We just have to trust in God, period. He promised in Hebrews 13:5b that He will never leave us or forsake us. So through the storm or in whatever it is that is giving us a hard time, know that He will always come to the rescue.
Not only should we learn to trust God, we should keep on looking for Him through Jesus. Simply accept Him as our personal Savior. God never forces Himself on us. He wants to be invited freely and lovingly.
And when we let him enter our storm-rocked boat, our lives will become calm. The Lord is in our boat, so all will be well!
That day of tranquility in the Sea of Galilee was my moment with God. Amidst the noisy banter of my fellow pilgrims, I really felt His strong presence.
Forever, I will hold that feeling of serenity as God’s gift—His letting me know how it feels to be secured in His love even in an open sea.
Today, the storms continue and the trials keep me on my toes. But I just revert to that day on an old boat in the Sea of Galilee when I felt God’s peace and I am assured that God is just a tap away.