ICS Daily Devotions
Know Jesus Personally

Luke 8:22-25 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

On this occasion, Jesus had given the disciples the Word to cross over to the other side, but then a windstorm arose. Instead of holding on to the Word of Jesus, the disciples chose to look at the circumstances and cried for help. After Jesus rebuked the wind and waves, He questioned them, “Where is your faith?”.

What did Jesus expect them to build their faith upon? His Word, and for us today, the Bible. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and faith in God is based on the Word because faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God.

Often the circumstances will be contrary to the Word that God has given you. This is when you have to choose not to base your faith on what you see in the natural, the reports and your feelings. The enemy always wants to shift your attention from the Word to the circumstances, and he will bombard you with negative thoughts and worst case scenarios, because he wants you to quit, which often seems easier than standing on the Word of God.

The disciples were afraid and said, “Who can this be?”, because at that point in time, while they knew of Jesus or had knowledge about Him, they did not know Him personally or had a full revelation of who Christ was. However, later on in His ministry, when Jesus asked them whom they said He was, Peter confessed, “You are the Christ! The Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). What a tremendous difference between knowing God and to know of God!

When we only know of God, it will be difficult for us to believe in Him in difficult times, but when we know Him personally, we can trust in His Word, His character and His love for us through the storm, and his peace will fill our hearts and strengthen our faith.

Sermon Series: Fight the Good Fight of Faith