Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from Seeking After the Heart of God for 52 Weeks by Max Lucado.
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Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, He went up on a mountainside to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and He was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. — Mark 6:45–48
Mark is specific about the order of events. Jesus sent the disciples to the boat and had them go on ahead to the other side. Then He dismissed the crowd and ascended a mountainside. It was evening, probably around 6:00 pm. The storm struck immediately. The sun had scarcely set before typhoon-like winds began to roar.
Note that Jesus sent the disciples out into the storm alone. Even as He was ascending the mountainside, He could feel and hear the gale’s force. Jesus was not ignorant of the storm. He was aware that a torrent was coming that would carpet-bomb the sea’s surface. But He didn’t turn around. The disciples were left to face the storm... alone.
Imagine the incredible strain of bouncing from wave to wave in a tiny fishing vessel. One hour would weary you. Two hours would exhaust you.
Surely Jesus will help us, they thought. They’d seen Him still storms like this before. On this same sea, they had awakened Him during a storm, and He had commanded the skies to be silent (see 4:35–41). They’d seen Him quiet the wind and soothe the waves.
Surely He will come off the mountain.
But He doesn’t. Their arms begin to ache from rowing. Still no sign of Jesus. Three hours. Four hours. The winds rage. The boat bounces. Still no Jesus. Midnight comes. Their eyes search for God—in vain.
By now the disciples have been on the sea for as long as six hours. All this time they have fought the storm and sought the Master. And, so far, the storm is winning. And the Master is nowhere to be found.
Peter, Andrew, James, and John have seen storms like this. They are fishermen; the sea is their life. They know the havoc the gale-force winds can wreak. They’ve seen the splintered hulls float to shore. They’ve attended the funerals. They know, better than anyone, that this night could be their last. “Why doesn’t He come?” they sputter.
Finally, He does.
Now about the fourth watch of the night [3:00 to 6:00 am.] He came to them, walking on the sea. — 6:48 NKJV
“A ghost!” someone in the boat screamed. Fear of the sea was eclipsed by a new terror. Thoughts raced as the specter drew near. Was it a figment of their imagination? Was it a vision? A flash of lightning illuminated the sky. For a second the disciples could see its face... His face. A second was all they needed. It was the Master! He spoke:
Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid. — verse 50
Before they knew it, Jesus was in the boat with them. The sea stilled as silk. The winds hushed. A canyon opened in the clouds; soft moonlight fell over the water. From chaos to calm. From panic to peace.
The disciples looked at the water, and then looked at each other, and then looked at Jesus. And they did the only thing they could have done. With the stars as their candles and the stilled boat as their altar, they fell at His feet and worshiped. As Matthew writes in his account of the story,
Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’. — 14:33
After the storm, they worshiped Him.
They had never, as a group, done that before. Never. Check it out. Open your Bible. Search for a time when the disciples corporately praised Him. You won’t find it.
You won’t find them worshiping when He heals the leper, forgives the adulteress, or preaches to the masses. They were willing to follow, willing to leave family, willing to cast out demons. But only after the incident on the sea did they worship Him.
Why? Simple. This time, they were the ones who were saved. This time, their necks were removed from the noose. Their bodies were plucked from the deep. One minute they were dangling over the edge of the abyss, staring into the throat of the slack-jawed canyon. The next they were bottom-plopped and wide-eyed on the deck of a still boat on a placid sea. So they worshiped. They did what anyone would do if a death sentence were stayed at the eleventh hour: They looked to the Eternal Governor who gave the pardon and thanked Him.
When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire Him. When you recognize His wisdom, you will learn from Him. When you discover His strength, you will rely on Him. But only when He saves you will you worship Him.
It’s a “before and after” scenario. Before your rescue, you could easily keep God at a distance. Comfortably dismissed. Neatly shelved. Sure, He was important, but so was your career. Your status. Your salary. God was high on your priority list, but he shared the spot with others. Then came the storm... the fight... the ripped moorings... the starless night. Despair fell like a fog. Your bearings were gone. In your heart, you knew there was no exit.
Turn to your career for help? Only if you want to hide from the storm, not escape it. Lean on your status for strength? A storm isn’t impressed with your title. Rely on your salary for rescue? Many try... many fail.
- Suddenly you are left with one option: God. And when you ask—genuinely ask—He will come.
And from that moment on, He is not just a deity to admire, a teacher to observe, or a master to obey. He is the Savior. The Savior to be worshiped.
I think the disciples would climb into that boat again. I’m sure they would. They would endure the storm another night, or a thousand other nights, if that’s what it took. Why? Because through the storm they saw the Savior.
Even when God feels distant, He knows your situation and will come to you.
The proper response to God’s salvation is worship and gratitude.
It is in the storms that you experience God’s strength, peace, and presence. Storms bring you closer to God and will transform your view of Him.
Memory Verse
Romans 12:1 — Take a few moments to review this verse, and then write it out from memory.
After God’s Own Heart
The disciples had followed Jesus, put their faith in Him, and participated with Him in ministry. But it was only after He rescued them that they truly worshiped Him. This time, they were the ones who had been saved. So they fell at the feet of Jesus in that boat and worshiped Him.
The storms of life have a way of stripping away our self-reliance. When it’s just us against the sea—and the odds of survival aren’t looking good—we are left with only one option: God. When we then witness the Lord intervene and save us from that dire situation, He suddenly becomes not a deity to admire but a Savior to be worshiped.
Let it be your prayer today to cultivate a heart of worship that sees the mighty hand of God not only in the dramatic rescues but also in the quiet moments of everyday life. Let your worship flow from a heart that acknowledges Him as your Savior. Choose to worship Him in His sovereignty through every season—whether that is the calm or the storm.
Excerpted with permission from Seeking After the Heart of God for 52 Weeks by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.
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Your Turn
If you’ve been through a life-changing storm, you know. It changes your view of Jesus. When He draws palpably close during the worst time of your life, how can you ever be the same? Let’s worship Him no matter what today is like. He is worthy! ~ Devotionals Daily