The Upper Room Devotion for Monday April 8, 2024, was written by Subodh C. Mondal of Delhi, India.
Scripture
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”
Matthew 8:23-27 NRSV
Author's Thoughts
I was only a year old when my family migrated from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to West Bengal, India. As refugees, we lived in a tent provided by the government for over seven years. I remember one hot summer evening a heavy storm was developing. We were playing in an open field, and my older sister became worried and brought us back to our tent for safety.
As soon as we got back, the wind was so forceful that we worried we would lose our tent and all our belongings. Imagining what it would be like to lose our tent and be without a place to live, I started praying but felt that my prayer was not working. Then I started pleading with Jesus: We don't have another tent. If this one is gone, where shall we live? I was at the corner of our tent holding the rope when I cried, "Help me, Jesus!" to my amazement, the wind gradually weakened and finally disappeared. This experience has had a lasting impact on my life. God hears us when we call out for help. Truly Jesus is with us in every storm.
Pastor Anthony's Thoughts
Friends,
We all will find ourselves buffeted by the winds and waves of a proverbial storm at some point in our lives. Whether it is the sudden loss of a job or a loved, an unexpected heartbreak, or a health challenge, we will find ourselves in a storm. Some Christians, who are still maturing in their faith, believe relationship with Jesus should keep us from experiencing storms. Yet, our text reminds us that even the disciples faced a storm. The key to overcoming the storms of life is remembering who is in the boat with us, Jesus.
Subodh‘s reflection and our scripture passage remind us to turn to Jesus in the midst of our storms. When we turn to Jesus, we’ll find the comfort, peace, and direction we need to quiet our waves of anxiety and our winds of doubt. When we turn to Jesus, we’ll be able to hear and see God’s hand of provision. We will all face storms, yet we must keep our eyes affixed and ears attuned to Jesus who will offer us the courage to persevere.
Author's Prayer
Dear God, thank you for being with us even when we go through difficult times in life. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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