God Will Rock Your Boat to Move You Forward

We all have our “boats”—those places of comfort, control, and security. For the disciples, it was the Sea of Galilee. Four of them were fishermen. That water was familiar. Safe. Predictable.

Until it wasn’t.

“But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, ‘Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?’” — Mark 4:37–38 NLT

Even though Jesus was right there with them, they panicked. And He calmed the storm with a word.

But here’s the part that grabs me: Jesus was already in the boat. His presence should have been enough.

When God Shakes What Feels Safe

Sometimes, God shakes the very thing we feel most secure in—not to scare us, but to shift us. He stirs the waters to remind us: our safety isn’t in the boat. It’s in Him.

• Maybe your “boat” is your job.

• Your relationships.

• Your finances.

• Your reputation.

What do you find security in? Because if it’s anything other than Jesus, it’s subject to the storm.

Faith That Doesn’t Wait for a Miracle

The disciples had seen Jesus heal, feed thousands, walk in power. But in that moment, they still needed a miracle to believe.

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’” — Mark 4:39–40 NLT

Jesus wants more for us. He wants a faith that doesn’t flinch. A faith that rests—not in the outcome—but in the knowing that He is near.

Do you trust the miracle, or do you trust the One who’s in the boat with you?

Letting God Move Us

God loves us too much to leave us unchanged. He shakes us to move us. Out of comfort. Out of control. And into His plan.

We don’t have to fear the storm. We get to trust the One who commands it. We get to let Him change us.