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God Rocks the Boat
by John Bishop, Director of Spiritual Formation, based on this week's MS/HS Chapel message
I am drawn to patterns and themes in Scripture because they help us understand who God is and what He has done for us. One of the most striking patterns that appears throughout the Bible is the way God delivers His people through storms. Again and again, moments of chaos become stages for God’s saving work.
The first clear example of this pattern is found in the story of Noah and the Ark. The world had become profoundly wicked. There was no law, no sacrificial system, and no articulated plan of salvation—only humanity’s rebellion colliding with God’s perfect holiness. Destruction was inevitable, like a block of ice melting under the heat of the sun. Yet, despite humanity’s unworthiness, God chose Noah and instructed him to build an ark (Genesis 6–9). Through that ark, God provided a way of salvation. After the flood, He made a covenant with humanity, promising never again to destroy the earth with water, and He set the rainbow in the sky as a sign of that covenant. Humanity failed and deserved judgment, but God made a way. He delivered His people and bound Himself to them with a promise.
We see this same pattern repeated in the story of Jonah. In his disobedience, Jonah runs from God, boards a ship, and finds himself caught in a violent storm. Once again, God intervenes—this time not with an ark, but with a great fish.
The sailors are spared, Jonah is rescued, and God’s purposes move forward. The details differ, but the pattern remains the same: God delivers despite human unworthiness. At times, it seems God is willing to rock the boat to get our attention.
This theme reaches a powerful climax in the New Testament. Jesus and His disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm erupts, threatening their lives. Jesus, however, is asleep. In fear, the disciples wake Him, and with a word He calms the storm and rebukes their lack of faith. For the Jewish people, the sea symbolized chaos, danger, and the unknown. A God who commands the sea is a God who reigns over all fear and disorder.
So what do we do with this pattern? Jesus gives us the answer at the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24–27), reminding us that storms will come, but only those who build their lives on Him will stand. Perhaps God is rocking your boat because He is calling you to reconsider your foundation. Dig deep, build on Christ, and you will discover that the God who controls the sea is firmly on your side.
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I am drawn to patterns and themes in Scripture because they help us understand who God is and what He has done for us. One of the most striking patterns that appears throughout the Bible is the way God delivers His people through storms. Again and again, moments of chaos become stages for God’s saving work.
The first clear example of this pattern is found in the story of Noah and the Ark. The world had become profoundly wicked. There was no law, no sacrificial system, and no articulated plan of salvation—only humanity’s rebellion colliding with God’s perfect holiness. Destruction was inevitable, like a block of ice melting under the heat of the sun. Yet, despite humanity’s unworthiness, God chose Noah and instructed him to build an ark (Genesis 6–9). Through that ark, God provided a way of salvation. After the flood, He made a covenant with humanity, promising never again to destroy the earth with water, and He set the rainbow in the sky as a sign of that covenant. Humanity failed and deserved judgment, but God made a way. He delivered His people and bound Himself to them with a promise.
We see this same pattern repeated in the story of Jonah. In his disobedience, Jonah runs from God, boards a ship, and finds himself caught in a violent storm. Once again, God intervenes—this time not with an ark, but with a great fish.
The sailors are spared, Jonah is rescued, and God’s purposes move forward. The details differ, but the pattern remains the same: God delivers despite human unworthiness. At times, it seems God is willing to rock the boat to get our attention.
This theme reaches a powerful climax in the New Testament. Jesus and His disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm erupts, threatening their lives. Jesus, however, is asleep. In fear, the disciples wake Him, and with a word He calms the storm and rebukes their lack of faith. For the Jewish people, the sea symbolized chaos, danger, and the unknown. A God who commands the sea is a God who reigns over all fear and disorder.
So what do we do with this pattern? Jesus gives us the answer at the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:24–27), reminding us that storms will come, but only those who build their lives on Him will stand. Perhaps God is rocking your boat because He is calling you to reconsider your foundation. Dig deep, build on Christ, and you will discover that the God who controls the sea is firmly on your side.
Westminster Christian School, located in Palmetto Bay, Florida, is a private, college-preparatory school for children from preschool through twelfth grade.