🌼Happy Monday, family! A brand-new week is here, and I love the fresh start it brings. There’s something about Mondays that makes me feel energised, like I’m setting the tone for something new. Well, this is unpopular but I actually love Mondays! 🌼🙃
“They all got into a boat and began to cross over to the other side of the lake. And Jesus, exhausted, fell asleep. Suddenly a violent storm developed, with waves so high the boat was about to be swamped.Yet Jesus continued to sleep soundly.The disciples woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We’re going to die!” But Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you gripped with fear? Where is your faith?” Then he stood and rebuked the storm, saying, “Be still!” And instantly it became perfectly calm. The disciples were astonished by this miracle and said to one another, “Who is this Man? Even the wind and waves obey his Word.”
Matthew 8:23-27 TPT
This well-known Bible story begins with a group setting out in a boat, determined to reach the other side of the lake. They had a clear purpose for their journey, most likely making careful plans and even checking the weather. Everything must have seemed ideal for sailing otherwise, the Bible wouldn’t have described the storm as sudden. It caught them completely off guard. They hadn’t anticipated it; they weren’t prepared. If they had known, they might have chosen a different day to travel. These were experienced men of the sea who understood the dangers of the water. Surely, they wouldn’t have set sail if they had seen any sign of a storm. Their goal was to get across, but most importantly, they wanted to live. Storms can come suddenly.
“They were celebrating at the wedding, the picture of a perfect couple. But now… what is all this?” And then you laugh foolishly not understanding that storms can arise suddenly.
Think about it, humans naturally avoid danger. We don’t walk in the middle of the road because we know the risk of getting hit is almost certain. We don’t play carelessly with knives or guns because we understand the harm they can cause. In the same way, the disciples weren’t recklessly sailing into danger. They weren’t expecting trouble some storms come without warning. While men slept, they assumed they could rest as well. But unexpectedly, the enemy came and sowed tares. Not every trial people face is a result of poor preparation or failure on their part. Some challenges come simply because storms don’t always announce their arrival.
Today, we will focus on Part A of this scripture and continue with the rest tomorrow.
The Bible says, “Suddenly, there came a violent storm.” This storm wasn’t just unexpected it was violent. And anything violent naturally stirs up fear. The Bible repeatedly warns us to stay away from violent people because violence is a trait of the enemy. Not only was the storm fierce, but the waves rose so high that the boat was on the verge of crashing. I can only imagine that water was pouring in, soaking everything, heightening the chaos.
But here’s the most fascinating part Jesus continued to sleep soundly. Hayi, pause and selah.
I know for a fact I wasn’t gonna be sleeping on that trip. First of all I don’t like cruising, all those titanic things are just not my vibe. I want to be where I have the liberty to run when danger comes. I can’t swim in a normal pool so in the lake it means I will not even survive. So no. Do your cruise things guys. Anyway, Jesus slept.
The boat is filling with water, the men are in full-blown panic mode, shouting over one another, trying to figure out what to do. The storm is roaring, the waves are crashing with force. Maybe Peter is yelling, “Steer this way!” and James is arguing, “No, that way!” Chaos is everywhere.And yet, in the middle of all this, Jesus continues to sleep, soundly. Not just dozing off, but truly at rest, completely unbothered. He was relaxed, at peace, just chilling.
Have you ever truly rested in the middle of a storm?
When you lost that job, how did you respond? When all your carefully laid-out plans fell apart and your life turned upside down, did you still manage to sleep peacefully? Or did the weight of uncertainty keep you up at night? It’s one thing to have peace when all is well, but can you rest when the storm is raging? That’s something that even l have to learn. The truth is, sleeping is usually the last thing we do when we’re in the middle of a storm.
We stress all night. We sit up calculating our next move from 8 PM, and before we know it, it’s 4 AM our stress levels have skyrocketed from 10 to 5000. Sleep? That’s the furthest thing from our minds. And in our thoughts there’s a so much noise , “You need to act fast! Drop this prayer thing and find a solution. ‘Be still’ isn’t working can’t you see the water flooding the boat? Your husband is about to leave go seek help somewhere else!”
The enemy applies relentless pressure, making it impossible to sit still. You pace back and forth. You scratch your head. You sigh a billion times. You panic. And yet… Jesus slept. Soundly.
Why? How? Can you do that? If you’re in a storm right now, are you still like Jesus or you’re on panic mode like the disciples? What’s your response?
See you tomorrow, don’t forget to follow The Yielded Center on Instagram ❤️