Lost? Hopelessly lost?

It could be in the forest, a grocery store, on the sea, maybe even lost in life – marriage problems, depression, laid off from a job, sick, knowing there is no cure for the disease that riddles your frail body.

Or maybe it is even worse: You are lost in a sea of sin, you’ve lost the Lord, and maybe you will never again find Him in the vast loneliness of temporal bliss.

Have you ever been lost? Are you lost today? Are the storms of life so huge that the waves are eating you alive?

You need the sea to be calm, but it just doesn’t seem to happen. You need a hand to reach out to, to settle the soul, but there is nothing but air to be found.

Such is the case with Jesus’ disciples as they face the real fear of dying in a storm. Their boat was small, the storm was large, the fishermen were doing their best to bail the water out of the boat, so it would not sink, and they were afraid.

Their friend Jesus was nowhere to be found. They needed a miracle to make it through this one.

Don’t we feel that way when we are afraid? I need a miracle to get through this! Yet deep down, we know full well that if we have faith, God finds a way. And today, these men are struggling for survival with little faith.

The text of Mark 6:45-56 is all about the storms of life – real challenges, those things that come into our lives and make us wonder if we will ever find peace. They’re the same kinds of stormy seas that Jesus faced.

His own kinfolk turning against him, King Herod putting John the Baptist to death, the fact that the man couldn’t get a day off ever, all the time knowing there was a cross to come soon.

Perhaps the biggest storm Jesus faced was within his own camp. His disciples had so little faith, every time Jesus wanted to demonstrate His Lordship over this world, it was His own followers that gave Him the most grief.

For us, not much has changed. Life is indeed an uphill battle! Family, career, school, relationships, ministry – it is all a daily, living, breathing challenge to keep things under control.

There are many opinions on whether Jesus really walked on water and calmed the sea that day. Some say the water was ankle deep, others believe he was on shore and the fog prevented the disciples from seeing His location because of fog.

But, the Bible says Jesus was in the “middle” of the lake and climbed into the boat, then calmed the storm. If you believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, then those opinions make no sense.

Fact is, this was a real storm in a raging sea, and a real Christ, walking on deep, troubled waters. I submit that if God made those waters in the first place, He could walk on them, or under them, or He could part them and make a dry path through the water.

On this day, He walks on those waters and brings peace to a very fearful situation, just like He does to take away our fears in life.

This was a miracle! Jesus walked on the water. And it tells us something about our own problems with the storms of our life.

We will talk about more our storms in life at First Lutheran Church in Lucerne this Sunday, July 29.

Please join us this very special Sunday. It is a country gospel service with lots of songs and singing.

Bible study starts at 9:30 a.m., worship at 11 a.m. and a time of fellowship with lunch served for all after the service.

Please come as you are and bring your friends, relatives, neighbors and acquaintances.

Everyone is welcome so come as you are.

Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..