Come & See: 10 Cowboy Devotions to Strengthen Your Ride With ChristSample

Quit Squallin'

Then Jesus jumped in the boat and they headed for the other side of the lake. All of a sudden, a boat-sinker of a storm blew in. But Jesus had His hat down over His eyes and slept through it. The disciples were frettin’ and fearin’ that this was gonna be the end of them all. They finally woke Jesus up by shakin’ Him and saying, “Jesus, save us!! We’re all gonna drown!” Jesus shook His head patiently and said, “Quit actin’ like a bunch of sissies! You ain’t got very much faith at all, do you?” Jesus got up, stretched, and told the wind to shut-up and the waves to sit down . . . and they did. The hands were shocked, stunned, and amazed and asked, “What kind of hombre is this? Even the wind and the waves listen at Him!” Matthew 8:23–27

It's easy to read these stories and think that we would've had more faith than these sissies, but you wouldn't. We've all been scared—whether inside or outside—and we have a knack for squallin’ our fool heads off at any storm in life.

We run to Jesus to “fill Him in” on what’s happening. But Jesus is never surprised by anything. He’s not going to “wake up,” look around, and say, “Whoa! We better do something before something bad happens.” No matter what, Jesus is never surprised, and He never freaks out.

I remember one time I was riding a colt and got bucked off. (Well, not really, because I never hit the ground.) I ended up on the horse’s neck, where I held on for dear life. Yes, my arms and legs were wrapped around the horse’s neck like a baby monkey holding on to his momma. Then my buddy got there. Ralph grabbed me by my belt and lifted me back in the saddle.

While I was squallin’, Ralph was laughing! I thought the world was ending, and Ralph sounded like he’d never felt more alive!

Listen, I’m not saying Jesus is going to calm every storm in your life. There are times when you are going to be scared. Just remember, when the fear hits you, that God isn’t surprised. He knew this was going to happen. He knows what the outcome will be. And He’s riding right beside ya.

Cowboy Call:

What are some areas of your life where you wonder if God is really paying attention or if He’s asleep on the bow? Does it feel like Jesus is asleep in the hammock when you need Him the most? Well, maybe that’s a sign that you need to chill. So grab some iced tea and put your boots up for a while.