21 June 2015 - the haven they desired

The LORD is in charge no matter how dire circumstances appear. 

Even if the squall is so violent that "waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up" the LORD still reigns. Jesus is still on the throne.

We have a hard time with this. We see God choosing to be God in a way different than we'd prefer. We start to think of better ways he could do the job. We risk trying to take over when things like this happen.  These storms are unpleasant after all, even dangerous.

Job sees some of the worst storms of circumstance that anyone ever has to see. It is natural that he'd prefer those storms to cease. The boat that the disciples are in is basically sinking. It isn't unreasonable that they wish the winds would abate.

In both cases, though, God allows the storms to reveal something about who he is and who they are. Jesus wants his disciples to trust him enough that they believe that it is sufficient for him to be in their boat. The disciples are moved to terror and cry out when they should instead be able to approach Jesus with a patient trust.

When I set limits for it
and fastened the bar of its door,
and said: Thus far shall you come but no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stilled!

He is the one whom even the winds and the sees obey. The storms are hard to understand when our boats are taking on water. But they serve to help us to trust in God more than ourselves. They teach us to recognize more deeply the one "whom even wind and sea obey."

Realizing who Jesus is we live as a part of the "new creation" where the old things have passed away. In storms we often attempt to live according to the flesh, to the old paradigms, to simply survive and get by. But we are new creations. These boats bear the Kings and he will not let us parish. The winds, ultimately, have done there worst already to him already. They may toss our boat. We may take on water. But with Jesus in our boats we are ultimately unsinkable even if our lives in the flesh are cut short. He has overcome the world including every storm and circumstance (cf. Joh. 16:33).

They rejoiced that they were calmed,
and he brought them to their desired haven.