One day Jesus and the boys were in a boat out on the sea. A violent storm dropped down on top of them, and their boat nearly swamped.
The disciples hurriedly woke Jesus up. He rebuked the wind and the waves, and the sea instantly became calm all around them.
As the disciples saw the obedience of the sea, their belief system shorted out. “Who is this?!”
But Jesus said, “Boys, where is your faith?”
I recently felt like one of the disciples in this situation.
Sue and I flew from Spokane to Kansas City to attend our grandson’s graduation. We had a layover in Denver, and as we approached the Denver airport, we ran into some pretty extreme turbulence.
The pilot said afterward, “I’ve flown lots of miles, been in lots of aviation situations, and experienced a lot of turbulence. But, folks, this was the worst I’ve ever been in. Well done for remaining calm.”
I didn’t know who he was talking to—because I wasn’t very calm!
A few days later on the flight home, I remembered the disciples in the boat. I asked the Lord, “Would You teach me how to employ my faith since we are heading back through Denver today?”
As we flew into Denver, sure enough, the plane started shaking again. I asked Jesus to teach me how to pray in this situation.
And He did. He told me to declare His Word and decree the outcome I wanted. So, there in seat 22E, I began to speak under my breath. I declared the same words Jesus had said in the storm: “Peace, be still.” Then I decreed, “Calm airways on the flight path of this aircraft into Denver.”
The captain came on and asked the flight attendants to be seated, as we were in for a bumpy trip. This did not encourage my faith, but I persisted in my declaration and decrees.
Things were bumpy for a few minutes longer, but I kept at it. And by the time we landed, the flight was calm and the landing was uneventful. I also got to practice on our flight out of Denver. Same result, but even quicker this time. Fewer bumps, smoother airways, and soon we were out over the Rockies and headed home again. I was tired and fell asleep until we landed in Spokane.
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Matt. 8:26 ESV)
I don’t know where He will take you in your adventures with Him, but be ready. He loves to play with His kids and teach us His ways. Scary situations are just opportunities to learn who God is and how we get to walk with Him as His kids.