The Other Boats
Posted on June 8, 2020 by Catey Stover in Victory Call
We’ve been going through a storm this year – a global storm that has had impact on hundreds of thousands of people. If you’ve watched TV, or been on social media, you’re probably heard the expression, more than once, “We’re in this together.” Or maybe, “we’re all in the same boat.” I recently saw a post on Facebook that made a lot more sense to me – we’re all in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:35-39
Have you ever noticed in the story in the Gospel of Mark when Jesus calmed the storm that the boat He was in was not the only one on the Sea of Galilee? So when He calmed the storm, was everyone in the same boat? Obviously not. But they were all in the same storm. Was their experience the same? Yes and no. They all experienced the wind and the waves. They may have all experienced the same fear. But only those in the boat with Jesus actually heard His words and knew, immediately, that the calming of the storm was a direct result. Note their response in verse 41: They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Those in the other boats experienced the calm as well, but probably did not know until they reached shore why the storm had suddenly calmed.
In the same way, each of our experiences in this current storm vary somewhat. Are you in a boat with family members? Are you alone? Is your home situation peaceful or challenging? Each of our boats looks a little different.
But unlike the disciples in the gospel account, we can each experience the presence of Jesus in our own individual boat. If you are His disciple, He is present with you in this current storm, riding it out in your boat alongside you. He is not distant, in someone else’s boat but not yours.
Maybe all you can see is the wind and the waves. But I would encourage you to remember that He has promised to be with us; He will never leave us or forsake us. We don’t have to fear the storm, because the One who can calm the storm is in the boat with us.
Sail in peace today. The One who causes the winds and waves to still is with you.
Written by Ruth Schmidt: Ruth Schmidt has worked at America’s Keswick since 1985. She currently serves as Administrative Assistant to Bill Welte.
Think About This: “You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.” -A.W. Tozer
The Daily Bible Reading: Psalms 93-97| You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [c]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [d]Amen. –Matthew 28:18-20
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.
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