Greatness: Matthew 14-20ਨਮੂਨਾ

Living in a coastal town, I am aware of the danger of big storms. The advice is always to stay away from the ocean because of the big, powerful waves that come with a storm. Kelly Slater, generally seen as the greatest surfer of all time, has said that when riding big waves, “life and death thoughts start to happen.” These conditions can scare even someone as skilful as him! While I will never ride big waves, looking at the ocean during a storm, I am mesmerised by its power.

It is through nature that many people come to know God. In the Psalms it talks about how God commands the waves and the stormy winds. When God’s people cry out to Him, He stills the storm. “He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed” (Psalm 107:29, ESV). In the New Testament, God also does this. The story of Jesus walking on the water is famous. Once Jesus gets into the boat, the winds cease, showing His divine authority over nature (Matthew 14:22–33, ESV).

We all have storms in our lives at some stage. You might be going through one right now, or can recall those in the past. Some of these storms make us think of life and death. We might feel like we are drowning, battered down by wave after wave. But in the midst of these storms we need to call out like Peter did, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30, ESV), and not take our eyes off Jesus. As you look at the power of the storm, remember that you have a God who can calm it. He wants to be with you in the raging sea. He tells Peter, and you, to come to Him in those times.

Today, ponder this: When you are facing life’s storms do you turn to Jesus or do you think you can face it on your own? God is the Lord of all creation and He wants you to come to Him when you are facing the storms of life. Pray big and trust in Jesus, keep your eyes on Him to ride above the waves crashing around you.