Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion written for Devotionals Daily by Granger Smith, author of Poison in the Well.
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And [Jesus] awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. — Mark 4:39 ESV
If our God is small, our faith will be too. And our lives will be even smaller.
You see, a small God can’t carry the weight of real suffering, redeem what has been broken, or bring beauty from ashes.
A small God might make for sentimental religion, but only a big, sovereign, holy God can anchor the soul in a storm.
“Nominal Christianity” boils God down to something like an easygoing uncle. The kind who winks at our mistakes, slips us a little cash, and tells us to “just do your best.” In our imaginations, He’s Morgan Freeman sitting on a cloud—white robe, kind smile, clipboard full of prayer requests—something between a therapist and a cosmic Santa Claus. Sometimes He’s called the “Man Upstairs” or simply a Higher Power.
Yes, God is personal. In Christ, He draws near (James 4:8). He walks with His friends, eats with sinners, touches lepers, weeps at tombs, and welcomes children into His arms. He is not cold or distant. He is gentle and lowly, full of mercy and truth. He is Immanuel, God with us. But here’s the thing often overlooked: Many times, when God reveals Himself to people in Scripture, their response is sheer, overwhelming, holy fear.
There’s a story from Mark 4 that’s fascinating. The disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee at night when a massive storm rolled in. The wind howled. The waves crashed into the boat until it was nearly swamped. These were seasoned fishermen, used to that sea, but this one had them convinced they were going to die. And what was Jesus doing? Sleeping. In their panic, they shook Him awake and cried, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (v. 38).
That’s just like us, isn’t it? So afraid of everything that feels out of control. It could be bad news from the doctor, a rough marriage, unstable work, morbid headlines, the things we can’t predict or fix. When the waves rise, we assume that God must be absent.
Watch closely what happened next. Jesus stood and, with a word, spoke to the storm: “Peace! Be still!” Then, Mark wrote, “there was a great calm” (v. 39). Then it gets interesting. The disciples had been terrified of the storm, but after Jesus spoke, their fear actually grew.
They were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’. — v. 41
The storm they thought would kill them wasn’t what shook them most—it was the realization that the man in the boat commanded creation itself. Their fear shifted from the power of nature to the power of God. This kind of realization shatters nominal faith.
The same Jesus who comforts the broken also commands the waves. The same hands that wipe our tears hold the universe in place.
This is the God of the Bible, the blinding, blazing, unstoppable Lord of Heaven and earth, before whom angels cover their faces and mountains melt like wax.
He is big God, far from any small God that produces small worship, small repentance, and small faith. Knowing, believing, trusting, and having faith are all connected. The more we know someone, the more we can trust them. That’s true in every relationship.
I remember one night when our son Maverick was three years old. He woke up crying, pointing toward the corner of his room. “Daddy,” he said through tears, “there are shadows on the wall.” I walked in, knelt beside his bed, and pulled him into my arms. “It’s okay, buddy,” I whispered. “Daddy’s got you.” And instantly he calmed down. The shadows were still there, but his fear wasn’t. Why? Because he knew me. He trusted my presence more than what he saw.
That’s what faith looks like—trust built on knowing. And how do we come to know God like that? He’s not hiding. God reveals Himself through His Word—the living, breathing testimony of His character. That’s why the Bible is so vital. You can’t know God apart from what He’s revealed about Himself. Scripture delivers to us the voice of God Himself, showing us who He is as holy, sovereign, merciful, and just. Without it, our idea of Him will always shrink to the size of our imaginations.
Mine had done just that. I didn’t know Him, so I treated grace like a safety net instead of a miracle. I made salvation about effort instead of mercy. I loved comfort more than obedience, and Heaven’s gifts more than Heaven’s King. That’s why I thought going to church was optional, reading the Bible was negotiable, and praying a onetime sinner’s prayer was enough. That’s why I looked like the world, lived in sin without conviction, and convinced myself I was “good.” That’s why I had no real hope when the storms of life came.
Every false version of Christianity is built on the same foundation: not truly knowing the God of the Bible. But once you see Him as He is—as good, holy, sovereign, merciful, infinite—everything shifts. Sin becomes shocking. Grace becomes amazing. Suffering becomes purposeful. Worship becomes inevitable.
When your God is big, your fears finally shrink to size. When your God is big, you don’t fear men, you fear Him. And that can make all the difference.
Heavenly Father, almighty God, you are worthy of all praise and honor and glory. Through Your Word and by Your Spirit, I pray, deepen my awe of Your greatness even as I also draw near to You for comfort and strength today. Amen.
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Written for Devotionals Daily by Granger Smith, author of Poison in the Well.
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Your Turn
Read this again, “A small God can’t carry the weight of real suffering, redeem what has been broken, or bring beauty from ashes.” Let’s renew our awe of Him, lean harder on Him, and worship Him more wholeheartedly! ~ Devotionals Daily