The disciples looked at the water, and then looked at each other, and then looked at Jesus. And they did the only thing they could have done. With the stars as their candles and the stilled boat as their altar, they fell at His feet and worshiped. As Matthew writes in his account of the story,
Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying,
‘Truly you are the Son of God’. — 14:33
After the storm, they worshiped Him.
They had never, as a group, done that before. Never. Check it out. Open your Bible. Search for a time when the disciples corporately praised Him. You won’t find it.
You won’t find them worshiping when He heals the leper, forgives the adulteress, or preaches to the masses. They were willing to follow, willing to leave family, willing to cast out demons. But only after the incident on the sea did they worship Him.
Why? Simple. This time, they were the ones who were saved. This time, their necks were removed from the noose. Their bodies were plucked from the deep. One minute they were dangling over the edge of the abyss, staring into the throat of the slack-jawed canyon. The next they were bottom-plopped and wide-eyed on the deck of a still boat on a placid sea. So they worshiped. They did what anyone would do if a death sentence were stayed at the eleventh hour: They looked to the Eternal Governor who gave the pardon and thanked Him.
When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire Him. When you recognize His wisdom, you will learn from Him. When you discover His strength, you will rely on Him. But only when He saves you will you worship Him.
It’s a “before and after” scenario. Before your rescue, you could easily keep God at a distance. Comfortably dismissed. Neatly shelved. Sure, He was important, but so was your career. Your status. Your salary. God was high on your priority list, but he shared the spot with others. Then came the storm... the fight... the ripped moorings... the starless night. Despair fell like a fog. Your bearings were gone. In your heart, you knew there was no exit.
Turn to your career for help? Only if you want to hide from the storm, not escape it. Lean on your status for strength? A storm isn’t impressed with your title. Rely on your salary for rescue? Many try... many fail.
Suddenly you are left with one option: God. And when you ask—genuinely ask—He will come. And from that moment on, He is not just a deity to admire, a teacher to observe, or a master to obey.
He is the Savior. The Savior to be worshiped.
I think the disciples would climb into that boat again. I’m sure they would. They would endure the storm another night, or a thousand other nights, if that’s what it took. Why? Because through the storm they saw the Savior.
Even when God feels distant, He knows your situation and will come to you.
The proper response to God’s salvation is worship and gratitude.
It is in the storms that you experience God’s strength, peace, and presence. Storms bring you closer to God and will transform your view of Him.
Memory Verse
Romans 12:1 — Take a few moments to review this verse, and then write it out from memory.
After God’s Own Heart
The disciples had followed Jesus, put their faith in Him, and participated with Him in ministry. But it was only after He rescued them that they truly worshiped Him. This time, they were the ones who had been saved. So they fell at the feet of Jesus in that boat and worshiped Him.
The storms of life have a way of stripping away our self-reliance. When it’s just us against the sea—and the odds of survival aren’t looking good—we are left with only one option: God. When we then witness the Lord intervene and save us from that dire situation, He suddenly becomes not a deity to admire but a Savior to be worshiped.
Let it be your prayer today to cultivate a heart of worship that sees the mighty hand of God not only in the dramatic rescues but also in the quiet moments of everyday life. Let your worship flow from a heart that acknowledges Him as your Savior. Choose to worship Him in His sovereignty through every season—whether that is the calm or the storm.
No comments:
Post a Comment