Mark 4:35-41, James
The Sea of Galilee, at approximately 700 feet BELOW sea level, is the lowest freshwater lake on earth. This area is known for its violent storms, which can come up without warning. I got to witness this first hand when I was in Israel. Fortunately, I was on the land, and not on the lake.
We had checked into our hotel which was right beside the sea of Galilee and it had a beautiful outdoor patio. The area around the lake is very hilly, even right down to the water’s edge, with tall mountainous cliffs on several sides of the lake. I noticed that the tables and chairs outside were all locked down but I thought maybe this wasn’t the best area of town and they were trying to keep things from being stolen.
When we were coming back from dinner, we witnessed how quickly the weather could change. The winds went from slightly breezy to hurricane force in an instant (now I understood why the outdoor furniture had to be bolted down). Apparently, the winds are created by the cooler air from the mountains colliding with the warm air over the water. When that happens, the winds funnel through the valleys in the hill country and rush down the hillsides of the lake. Talk about a quick change.
Difficult situation in our lives are going to come up just as quickly as the winds change on the Sea of Galilee. It may feel as if God is sleeping through our perils but remember that God is in the boat with us. Scripture promises us that even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God is with us.
Who do we know that might feel shipwrecked and needs God’s power and presence today?