It Is Him! Trusting Jesus in Life’s Storms (Part 2)
“Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” — Matthew 8:25 (LSB)
https://www.gracegainesville.org/blog/post/-it-is-him-trusting-jesus-in-life-s-storms-part-1
Last time, we left Jesus and His disciples in the middle of a furious storm on the Sea of Galilee. Waves were crashing into the boat, wind howled through the sails, and the seasoned fishermen who once felt at home on the water were now convinced they were going to die.
And there, in the midst of the chaos, Jesus slept.
It’s almost hard to imagine, isn’t it?
Everything around them screamed panic, but Jesus rested in peace.
The Cry of Desperation
“And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!’” — Matthew 8:25 (LSB)
The disciples’ cry is raw and unfiltered. They don’t craft a theologically precise prayer. They don’t reason through their situation. They simply cry out, “Save us, Lord!”
And honestly, that’s one of the most beautiful prayers in Scripture.
Because it’s a confession of need.
A cry of helplessness.
A plea that recognizes: only You, Lord, can rescue us.
Their faith wasn’t perfect — in fact, Jesus will soon call it little — but it was real. And that’s the difference between unbelief and weak belief. One refuses to turn to Christ; the other clings to Him even while trembling.
Fear vs. Faith
“And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’” — Matthew 8:26a (LSB)
This rebuke isn’t harsh — it’s tender. Jesus doesn’t say they have no faith; He says they have little faith.
They believed He could save them, but not that He would.
They trusted Him in principle, but not in practice.
And if we’re honest, we’ve all been there.
We trust God for eternity, yet struggle to trust Him for tomorrow’s bills.
We believe He’s sovereign over nations, yet worry He’s forgotten our family.
Jesus’ question pierces right through that:
“Why are you afraid?”
It’s not that fear itself is sinful — fear is often a natural response to danger. But when fear replaces faith, it reveals that our confidence has shifted from Christ to circumstance.
The Calm After the Storm
“Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.” — Matthew 8:26b (LSB)
What a moment that must have been.
One second — chaos.
The next — stillness.
The same voice that spoke galaxies into existence now speaks to the wind and the waves: “Be still.”
And immediately, nature bows in submission.
You can almost hear the silence that followed — the dripping of water from the disciples’ clothes, the pounding of their hearts still racing, the dawning realization: We are standing in the presence of God.
“What Kind of Man Is This?”
“And the men marveled, saying, ‘What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’” — Matthew 8:27 (LSB)
That’s the question every follower of Christ must eventually ask: Who is this man?
He eats and sleeps like one of us — yet commands creation like God Himself.
He’s weary enough to nap, yet mighty enough to still the sea.
He is fully man, yet fully God.
And when the disciples saw the waves obey Him, they were confronted with a truth that would change their lives forever — it is Him.
The Creator. The Sovereign One. The Lord over all creation.
Lessons from the Storm
Storms will come — not just on seas, but in life. Sometimes they’re relational, sometimes physical, sometimes spiritual.
But the same Savior who ruled the storm then, rules over every storm now.
Faith doesn’t mean we won’t face the wind. It means that when the waves rise, we know Who to cry out to.
And when He speaks peace, the heart that trusts in Him can rest — even before the waves stop crashing.
Reflection Questions
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Why do you think Jesus allowed the storm before calming it?
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What does this moment reveal about the nature of true faith?
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When you face trials, do you tend to cry out in fear, faith, or a mixture of both?
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How can remembering Jesus’ authority over creation strengthen your trust in Him during hardship?
Next time in Part 3: we’ll step back and consider what these moments teach us about the character of Christ Himself — His authority, His humanity, and His divine compassion for fearful hearts.