Join us today in welcoming guest contributor, Aleigh Porter. Aleigh loves teaching people, whether it be as an oncology nurse or a messenger of God’s word. The daughter of a minister and teacher, she has amazing examples to follow as she lives out her ministry. Aleigh encourages women to trust God in their journey, even when life goes off-script. She is a contributing writer for Hello Mornings Bible studies and a speaker at various women’s events in local churches. Her unofficial ministry involves being the best aunt to five energetic teenagers and owner to her dog Max. A Texas girl all the way, she loves football, her family, and her faith.
Growing up, my sister and I spent much time sailing with our father. His hobby became a favorite of ours as well yet today, I cannot sail a boat by myself. Although it sounds strange, the truth is that I never had to do the sailing. While I spent much time on the water, I never had to navigate it on my own. My dad always took care of the preparation and charting and navigation as we journeyed from one place to the next. My sister and I helped with whatever tasks he assigned along the way, but the primary responsibility was not ours. I never worried about anything while he was in the boat because I knew who was in control, and we always made it to our destination safely.
Today, I love being on the water as much as ever and believe this is why the stories of Jesus and the Sea of Galilee are some of my favorites in Scripture. It is not a surprise that the one who called himself Living Water spent much of his ministry around this element. Scripture shows us that bodies of water are integral in the journey and ministry of God’s people.
Thriving Community
The Sea of Galilee is a fresh-water lake that is primarily fed by the Jordan River. This river is of significance to the Israelites, as they crossed over it to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3:17). The city of Capernaum at the north end of the Sea was also an important location, as many travelers crossed the Jordan near that site, and it became a major point of commerce. Although called a sea, the fresh water of Galilee provided drinking water for the region and supported a thriving fishing industry. The semi-tropical climate and natural springs in the region led people to believe that the area promoted healing and became a popular place for those struggling with infirmities. All these factors worked together to create a perfect area for to Jesus to establish his ministry.
Mission-minded Ministry
About 18 miles from his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus came to the region of Galilee early in his ministry. This location is noted in the prophecies of Isaiah “In the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations, by way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan – The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:1b-2). Here Jesus called his first disciples, proclaiming them to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). He spent time teaching the multitudes around him, including the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). When they brought him the sick, he spent time healing them from leprosy, demons, and many other diseases (Matthew 8-9). Ultimately, he even filled their stomachs when they did not have enough food for themselves (Matthew 14:13ff). All the while, he taught them the things the Father entrusted to him. He never wavered in his mission.
Faith-building Opportunity
Through this entire journey the disciples walked with him, but their faith often fell short. The Sea of Galilee has a unique topography as it is in a valley surrounded by mountains, which allows strong storms to develop quickly. The men knew this – they were fishermen, after all – and this was their home territory. No doubt they knew every inch of the sea – it was essential to their survival.
Yet one night, a storm developed that scared the disciples like no other. Everything they knew about the sea was rendered worthless as the chaos swirled around them, and they panicked. The disciples ran to Jesus (who was sleeping) asking him to save them from the overwhelming storm. In this moment, Jesus could have hugged them and calmed their fears and coddled them. Instead, he chastised them saying, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:28). The disciples knew they were on a sea prone to storms yet allowed fear to overcome them because they got distracted from the most important factor – they had JESUS in their boat.
Faithful Living
Isn’t that what we often do as well? We know the world we live in brings storms and chaos and fear, but we allow those things to overwhelm us in the moment and cry out to our Savior asking for help. We forget that we have Jesus in our boat. We lose sight of the fact that he is always in control, even if it feels like he is sleeping. Jesus is right beside us in the boat and is fully aware of the storm, but sometimes he allows it to blow around us. Our job is to trust him – he is prepared, charting the course, and navigating our boat through the rough waters of life. We must complete our tasks along the way knowing that he will guide us to the proper destination. What better Captain could we have?
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