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Stress is something we all face. Whether it's worries about our jobs, our families, our health, or just the busyness of life, stress can feel like a raging storm that won't quit. We try hard to keep it all together, but inside, we're often tired, overwhelmed, or even afraid.

That's why I love the story about Jesus and the storm on the Sea of Galilee. It is a powerful example of what it means to truly rest, even when the storm is raging all around you. Jesus wasn't anxious or worried. Instead, He trusted completely and slept peacefully through the storm.

That's what I want us to think about today: how can we find that kind of rest from stress in our own lives? Let's look at the passage and let it sink deep into our hearts.

(Matthew 8:23-26 NKJV) Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

This was a violent storm, a great tempest, and the storm was a stressful situation for the disciples, but not for Jesus. He slept peacefully until they woke Him up. Jesus rebuked both the storm and the disciples for disturbing Him. Then, after calming the storm, I imagine He probably went back to sleep. What made the difference? Jesus pointed to their small amount of faith—He said they had "little faith."

One thing I want to be sure we understand is that we don't have to stay stuck in the disciples' "little faith" like they had back then. We've been given so much more to build on. When Jesus went back to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. We have the completed New Testament, and the stories of the disciples' lives are recorded as our guide.

Those early followers were pioneers facing tough questions—like, "Can Gentiles be saved?" or "Do people have to be circumcised to follow Jesus?" They had a hard time even understanding who the Holy Spirit was. But they worked through those struggles and paved the way for us to go even further in faith.

So, the question for us today is: what are we doing with all that they left us? Are we growing in faith beyond where they started?

The Bible shows us Jesus as loving, calm, and patient. In (Luke 9:55), when a Samaritan village didn't welcome Jesus and His disciples, James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to burn them up—maybe thinking they'd be saving Jesus the trouble. But Jesus gently corrected them: "You don't know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man didn't come to destroy people's lives, but to save them."

Jesus didn't come to destroy people's lives but to save them. That's a powerful statement, especially when we look back over the long and often painful history of the church, which at times has tried to destroy anyone who disagreed with it. But destroying lives was never Jesus' way.

A few chapters after calming the storm, Jesus said this in Matthew 11:28–30:

(Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV) Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Rest for your souls—that's something truly rare these days. So I ask you: is your soul really at rest? Or are you constantly carrying the weight of stress, always worrying about what tomorrow might bring? When the storm hits, are you shouting, "Jesus! I'm perishing!" — or have you already prepared your heart, brought your worries to Him in prayer, and found peace before the storm even arrives?

I've learned that trouble often tends to stay away from those who are prepared for it. We once took a course by Dave Ramsey on managing finances, and the very first thing he recommended was setting aside money for an emergency fund. Oddly enough, when we did that, the emergencies seemed to stop happening. Dave said the same thing happened in his life.

The reason Jesus was able to sleep in the boat during the storm was because He had already spent time in prayer that day and carried that deep inner peace with Him. He was ready and prepared for whatever might come His way. There's a direct link between peace and trusting God. When we feel that lack of peace in our lives, it usually comes from not fully trusting that He will take care of us. Think about Isaiah 26:3:

(Isaiah 26:3 NKJV) You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

This verse helps us understand how Jesus was able to sleep peacefully in the boat during the storm. He completely trusted God to take care of Him. Jesus knew His time on Earth would last only as long as God had planned—nothing more, nothing less. He didn't worry about tomorrow or things beyond His control. Instead, He prayed, spoke in faith, and fully trusted the Father.

I'm not saying we're failures if we can't walk on water like Jesus did, but He did rebuke the disciples for their "little faith" because they were meant to grow into more. The lesson for us is clear: learn to pray and trust Him before you even face the storm.

Be flexible. Don't try to tell God how to bless your plans. Instead, align yourself with His plan, do your part—no matter how small—and trust Him to handle the rest. You don't have to carry the weight of ten thousand things you can't change. Pray, rest, and take comfort knowing you're never alone in this.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please open my mind to understand Your Word. I give You my heart today and choose to put my trust in You. You are my peace, my rest, and my comfort. I know I am never alone because You are always with me. Thank You for that assurance. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.