This event contains eight of the most important words Jesus ever said:

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4.35 – 41, NIV)

Did you see them? The eight important words?

Let us go over to the other side.

June and I got blindsided a few days ago by something that for the first hour or so made us feel like the disciples: about to drown in the lake. But Jesus didn’t say, “Come. Let us go to the middle of the lake and drown.” He said, “Let us go over to the other side,” and they did despite an apparently Satanic attack and their resulting fear.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you… (Isaiah 43.2, NIV)