Matthew 8: 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

In this 8^th chapter of Matthew several miracles are described. In the case of a man with leprosy,     Jesus reached out and touched and healed him. In the case of the centurion, Jesus commended him for his great faith then spoke a word of healing for the centurion’s servant: “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” Wow! Then in verse 16 it reads “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.”

Later on a boat with his disciples Jesus was fast asleep. They were caught in a furious storm and his disciples woke him in a panic: “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” This makes me smile because I can identify with the disciples. But the Bible says “Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” Again, in my humanity, I exclaim with the disciples “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” This is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, he has authority over everything. And the Holy Spirit dictates this to me:

“The word of God is creative, powerful and above all it is authoritative. When God speaks he takes no account of personalities or situations that seem unchangeable. He is in charge of change of every kind. He moves in, commands and it is done. Take note in these accounts that he speaks and things happen. It is in this same manner that he spoke the creation into being. Men have questioned and devised their own fables as to how things came to be, but I tell you, that in the beginning I created all things. Today I still have control over it all and I will do with it as I please and no one can stop my hand. However, it is also my prerogative that I choose from time to time to show mercy to mankind and grant pardon and deliverance from what would surely be total disaster. It is so that men may know that I am the Eternal God who controls all things and can speak my word to hold back the elements and let new life spring forth both in humans and my created world.  It is my Word that gives life.”