Remembering God’s Faithfulness When the Storms Return

Editor’s note – Six weeks of guest preachers gave this author a fresh angle on a familiar story. She noticed something easy to miss in Matthew 14 and Mark 6: the disciples had just watched Jesus feed thousands before they panicked in the very next storm. That detail turns an old, familiar failure into something closer to home than most of us would like to admit.

Six Weeks of Guest Preachers

The disciples had just witnessed Jesus feed thousands of people, yet hours later they were afraid in the middle of a storm. Their story reminded me how easily I can do the same thing.

Our pastor has been on sabbatical for six weeks now, with two more weeks before he returns. I really enjoy his preaching because he’s very methodical, has a teaching spirit, and gets deep into the Word. I always bring my notebook to church because there’s usually so much I want to write down.

I have to confess something, though. My husband and I were talking in the car after church yesterday while running some errands, and I told him that before our pastor left, I thought I was really going to miss his sermons. I do miss him, but something unexpected has happened these past few weeks – I’ve gotten something meaningful from every pastor who has stepped up to preach.

Our pastor’s father-in-law preached the first two weeks, first about having joy in the midst of trials and then about being doers of the Word rather than hearers only. After that, our church began its Summer at the Lake series. We’ve heard messages about baptism, trusting Jesus when He says to do something, and having peace in the middle of the storm.

I’ve kept bringing my notebook, staying focused, and expecting God to show me something through each sermon. Yesterday was our children’s pastor’s turn to preach, and once again, I filled about two pages with notes. His message came from Matthew 14:22-32 and Mark 6:45-52, focusing on Peter stepping out of the boat and walking toward Jesus.

Faith Takes a Step

Our children’s pastor gave us three main points: faith takes a step, faith keeps its eyes on Jesus, and faith discovers Jesus’ hand.

I’ve heard the story of Peter walking on water many times. Jesus told Peter to come, and Peter actually stepped out of the boat and walked toward Him. But when Peter shifted his attention to the wind around him, he became afraid and began to sink.

The storm hadn’t suddenly become more powerful. What changed was where Peter was looking.

That alone is a lesson I need to keep reminding myself of. Circumstances will always pull my attention away from God. I can look at the problem, the uncertainty, the unanswered prayer, or whatever else is happening, and let it grow bigger in my mind than the One I’m supposed to trust.

But when Peter cried out, Jesus immediately reached for him. Peter’s faith faltered, but Jesus was still there.

They Had Just Seen a Miracle

Another part of yesterday’s sermon impacted me even more because I had never connected these events this way before.

The feeding of the 5,000 had happened immediately before this.

The disciples had just watched Jesus take five loaves and two fish and feed thousands of people. They had witnessed something that should have been impossible. Then Jesus sent them across the water while He went away by Himself to pray.

A storm came, and once again they were afraid.

Mark’s account adds a detail I hadn’t paid much attention to before. Mark 6:48 says that Jesus “was about to pass by them.” Our children’s pastor pointed out that Jesus knew where they were and what was happening and that they’d be okay, but when they saw Him and cried out in fear, He spoke to them and told them to take courage.

Then Mark 6:51-52 says that after Jesus climbed into the boat and the wind died down, the disciples were amazed because “they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.”

That hit me.

They had just witnessed the loaves and fishes. This wasn’t some miracle from years earlier that had become a distant memory. They had just watched Jesus provide abundantly, and now they were in another difficult situation, struggling to understand who was right there with them.

And then I had to ask myself: How often do I do exactly the same thing?

Editor’s note – Mark’s word choice is sobering: “their hearts were hardened,” not simply “they forgot.” A hardened heart is a slow resistance to trusting what God has already shown us – worth asking if the same thing happens between one testimony and the next trial.

Remember What God Has Already Done

We can have a wonderful Sunday at church where God speaks directly to our hearts. We leave encouraged, strengthened, and ready for the week ahead. Then Monday comes, something goes wrong, we receive bad news, or a situation we’ve been praying about still hasn’t changed – and suddenly we’re discouraged again.

What happened to what we believed on Sunday?

So many times in my life, God has been faithful. I’ve seen Him provide. I’ve watched Him answer prayers. I’ve experienced His guidance and seen Him work situations out in ways I couldn’t have planned myself.

Then another storm comes, and I’m tempted to ask, Lord, what am I going to do about this?

Maybe a better question is, Lord, what are You going to do?

Of course, there are situations where God expects us to take action. Faith isn’t an excuse to ignore responsibilities or refuse to do what He’s already shown us to do. But some things are bigger than anything we can fix ourselves, and that’s where we have to trust Him.

One statement from the sermon that I wrote down was, “Great trials lead to the potential for great praise.” I loved that because the trial we’re facing today may eventually become another testimony we can remember the next time a storm comes.

That’s something I want to do more intentionally. When I’m facing something difficult, I want to remember the loaves and fishes in my own life. I want to remember what God did last month, last year, ten years ago, and all the other times when I didn’t know how something would work out.

The next trial doesn’t erase God’s previous faithfulness.

And maybe remembering what He’s already done is how our faith grows stronger for whatever we’re facing today. I don’t want to experience God’s provision one day and then live as though I’ve forgotten all about it when the wind starts blowing the next.

Have you ever really connected Peter walking on the water with the fact that the disciples had just witnessed the feeding of the 5,000? Does that change the way you think about remembering God’s faithfulness when you’re facing your own storms?

A Word from the Editor
The disciples didn’t lack evidence of God’s power; they lacked memory in the moment they needed it most. Scripture records that failure, so we’ll recognize the same pattern in ourselves. Philippians 4:6-7 doesn’t ask us to solve our storms; it asks us to remember the God who has already proven He is able to bring that memory into today’s prayer.

Editor Comment: The God who fed five thousand is the same God present in your next storm; remembering what He has done is what steadies your faith when fear rises. Tying Peter's sinking gaze to the disciples' hardened hearts right after the loaves and fish shows readers exactly how fast forgetfulness can follow even the clearest miracle, and that connection will help them catch themselves doing the same thing.

This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.