Day 8: (Matthew 8:23-27)
Out on the sea one night with his disciples, an incredible tempest arose. While they battled against the storm, the Master slept. Finally in desperation they woke him and begged for assistance. I love what President Hunter said:
"All of us have seen some sudden storms in our lives. A few of them,though temporary like these on the Sea of Galilee, can be violent and frightening and potentially destructive. As individuals, as families, as communities, as nations, even as a church, we have had sudden squalls arise which have made us ask one way or another, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” And one way or another we always hear in the stillness after the storm, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”
None of us would like to think we have no faith, but I suppose the Lord’s gentle rebuke here is largely deserved. This great Jehovah, in whom we say we trust and whose name we have taken upon us, is he who said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” (Gen. 1:6.) And he is also the one who said, “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.” (Gen. 1:9.) Furthermore, it was he who parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground. (See Ex. 14:21–22.) Certainly it should be no surprise that he could command a few elements acting up on the Sea of Galilee. And our faith should remind us that he can calm the troubled waters of our lives." - President Howard W Hunter
This story always remind me of something John H. Groberg once said-- "Sometimes God calms the storm and sometimes God calms the sailor....and sometimes God just lets us swim!"
What do we do when the storm in not just a temporary squall, but a continuous hurricane? What do we do when we feel like we've been swimming until we can barely keep our heads above water? Why sometimes does he let the storm continue to rage over the heads of the righteous and worthy?
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