However as we begin to read the verses we see that this incident begins with a command from Jesus
”let us cross over to the other side”

I sense this is a challenge that Jesus is saying to us all. We cannot stay where we are. We have to launch out and make progress.

Jesus always has a purpose in what He asks us to do even if we cannot immediately see it. If we want to be obedient we have to go to the other side. We cannot stay where we are in our comfort zone. We have to purpose in our heart to go with what Jesus wants for us.

Now when we step out and begin to go with the promptings of our heart we can be sure that the storms of life will be there as verse 23 and 24 demonstrate. No one ever said that the Christian life was plain sailing. There will always be troubles to face.

However what we so often forget that is the key to victory, the secret to winning the lost and the most important ingredient as we push through is that Jesus got in the boat with the disciples.

Yes, Jesus is in the boat with you. You are not alone. He is the key to getting across. He said he would never leave us or forsake us and we have to begin to trust that and move out.

Now first, we know that the disciples forgot that Jesus was there because the boat was filling with water so all their own knowledge of what to do was not working (they were skilled fishermen and knew how to handle a boat).
Only when they came to the end of what they could do did they turn to Jesus. He immediately got up and spoke to the wind and the water and there was a calm.

We must get deep in our spirit that He is with us in every situation. He is not like we are. He will not bail out on us when the going gets tough. He wants to be involved in our lives and He promises to be with us as we press forward to do what He is calling us to do, which is to fulfil the great commission.

Second, He expects us to use our faith. We cannot get to where He wants us to go without it. We may be able to fake it for a while but ultimately we have to use the faith we have been given.

Why did Jesus exclaim about their absence of faith?
You have to remember that these men were in training. He did not ask just anyone to go to the other side. These were men He was pouring His life into. They were men who were a witness to healings and miracles, who were a party to how Jesus worked. They observed Him and how He did things. I would encourage you to read back from this point in Luke and see what they had already seen when Jesus used His faith by speaking the word. There were many examples not the least of which was the story of the centurions servant in Luke 7.

Jesus clearly felt they had seen enough to know that they could take authority for themselves to calm the storm. They could have stood up in the boat and shouted “Jesus says we are going to the other side and so we are. So storm you had better quit now”

In our personal walk with God we have to do the same. We have so much more understanding  today that enables us to do that. We need to do that in our church life. We are faith people we have to rise up and take a stand.

When we start this process we cannot always see what is ahead of us or the reason. What we can do is launch out in faith in obedience to the call of Jesus and determine we will get there. Next time we will see unfold what they could not see but Jesus knew and that is where it gets exciting. Watch out for more.