117. The Prayer Of The Disciples In The Storm.

The Prayer Of The Disciples In The Storm. The Prayer as recorded.—Matthew 8:23-25. The Lord’s Answer.—Matthew 8:26.

Above the noise of the tempest, and sounding over the waves of the troubled Sea of Tiberias, comes the wail of the terror-stricken disciples.

Fear is within the tossing bark, The stormy winds grow loud, And waves come rolling high and dark, And the frail mast is bowed. In that open vessel the Savior of the world lies quietly sleeping. He, of whom the holy man has said “the sea is his and he made it,” is not disturbed by the tempest, or wakened by the waves. To the voice of prayer his ear is opened, and he is ready to listen when his alarmed disciples cry. He gently rebukes their want of faith, quiets their alarm, “And slumber settles on the deep, And silence on the blast; As when the righteous falls asleep, When death’s fierce throes are past.” And are we not all tossed by the waves of the stormy sea of life? Are we not in great danger if Christ is not at the helm to rebuke the raging billows? Lord, as he is, of the elements, so that he bringeth the wind out of his treasures, and causeth the waters of the sea to roll calmly on in their channel, so he will bring repose to the tempest-tossed soul, when the waves are the highest. We are taught by this rebuke to the disciples that Christ would have our faith grow stronger, our trust firmer, though heavy clouds arc round about us, and we see no light. There is one that will break away these clouds, and show you far in the distance a port of peace and safety—a home of light and love, “Though rocks and quick sands deep Through all our passage lie, Yet thou wilt safely keep, And guide us with thine eye.”