Guidelines For Living

Guest (Male): Take a break from your busy schedule and join Harold Sala for Guidelines for Living.

Harold Sala: Night draped its star-curtained around the Sea of Galilee. The Palestinian sky which usually had many, many stars was darkened with an ever-increasing number of storm clouds. Thirteen weary men made their way to the water's edge. One by one they got into a boat and when all were on board, they launched out into the choppy waters and steered for the opposite shore.

The activities of the day had wearied all of them, for 12 of them had followed their teacher throughout many small villages and cities in Galilee. As the clouds grew darker and the wind began to increase, those aboard the little vessel grew apprehensive, but their teacher seemed undisturbed by the approaching storm and made his way below to rest from his strenuous pace.

Thousands, each with his own needs and burdens, had thronged the dusty roads leading out of the villages and towns to hear the prophet called Jesus of Nazareth. And in spite of their sometimes thoughtless pushing and shouting, the compassionate Jesus always had time to teach and heal.

His patience with them seemed to be infinite. He preached to them, prayed with them, healed them, instructed them, and finally when the crowds had been sent away, Jesus would find a quiet spot to rest. That night, the place was in the bottom of a ship whose bow was pointed towards the opposite shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Oblivious to the shouts of instruction on the part of those who were readying the ship for the approaching storm, he fell asleep. And almost before they knew it, they were in trouble, big trouble. The black clouds began to empty torrents of rain. The choppy waves became a raging surf. Strong backs and muscular arms strained in desperation against the storm. Bare feet braced themselves, quick hands grabbed, pulled, and pushed. They were fighting for survival.

As the drama heightened, it became increasingly evident that the storm was winning. One of the men was thrown near the doorway that led down narrow steps to the hold of the ship. Clinging to the ropes that hung from the rigging, he made his way into the doorway, half pulling himself, half falling. Drenched and exhausted, he flung the words at Jesus: "Master, Master, save us! Don't you care we're perishing?"

Jesus got up and made his way to the tossing deck. Possibly one of Jesus' hands clung to the rigging and the other he raised slowly and deliberately over his head. "Peace, be still," he cried. The immediate calm was almost as frightening to the disciples as the raging storm had been, just in a different way.

They rose to their feet, stared blindly at one another and then almost at once, they dropped to their knees before Jesus, exclaiming, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him." The question of nearly 2,000 years ago is relevant today as well. Who is this one? And then the question, "Where is your faith?"

Now if what I've shared with you seems overly dramatic or melodramatic, you should hear some of the testimonies of those whose lives were in shambles and in desperation, they cried out to God's Son for help, and he turned the storm of their life into calm.

Thank God Christ has had the experience of calming the waters, of coping with our fears, of speaking to the troubled hearts that we have. He still does it for the asking. You see, the one who calmed the storm on Galilee can calm the storm of our lives today. We have to call out to him and trust him to do that, and then let him speak peace to our hearts.

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