Focus on Jesus During the Storms

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+14%3A24-34&version=NLT

I was reading in Matthew14:24-34, 
about the disciples being out in a boat when a storm came up. They saw Jesus walking on the water and thought he was a ghost, but immediately he spoke to them to calm their fears. Peter who was dubious, like the rest, asked Jesus if it was indeed Jesus, to call and ask him to come out to him, which Jesus did. Peter walked on the water also, but as soon as his focus was off of Jesus, he again focused on the storm & started to sink. He called out for Jesus to save him & immediately, Jesus rescued him. When they got back in the boat, the winds stopped and the storm calmed. Then the disciples recognized him. They went on across the lake to Gennesaret. The meaning of Gennesaret, is “the Paradise or fertile ground of Galilee.”

Galilee was the home of Jesus when he was on earth. The literal meaning of the root word of Galilee (galal) is to put one’s trust in God. 

Psalm 37:5 “Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”

So if you think back on the meanings of this story – when you face a storm in your life, look to Jesus. Call on him and he will rescue you, keep your focus on him, even when the winds are howling and the waves are high. He doesn’t just rescue us, he takes us to The Paradise of his home. We are delivered to his doorstep. It is also interesting that this area, in Solomon’s time, was called Galil by the Jews meaning ‘the Galilee of the Gentiles.’ Jesus delivered both Jews & Gentiles. In Biblical times, Galilee was the largest portion of Palestine. 

Isn’t it just like God, not only to calm us, but also to rescue us, and to deliver us to the most fertile (Gennesaret) and give us the largest portion (Galilee)!! All we must do is to recognize him and keep our focus on Him! Look to Jesus!

I had not thought about the meaning of Genassaret as the paradise or fertile ground before or of Galilee being the home of both the Jews and the Gentiles! What a picture of God rescuing us from the storms of life!!