Join me for this simple Bible journaling tutorial on Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus calms the storm! We will be using one of my favorite Bible journaling supplies—gelatos—applied two different ways.
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The story of Jesus calming the storm has got to be one of my all-time favorite stories in the Bible!
Seriously, just the fact that Jesus was taking a nap during the storm (!!!) resonates with me, as a person with narcolepsy. Jesus makes it okay to take a nap when we need it! There He was, getting the rest he needed, totally unfazed by the chaos unfolding around him.
That is, until the disciples woke him, because they were freaking out! Have you ever felt that way about God? Like, “I’m drowning here, aren’t you going to help me God???” And He says, “Of course, I’ve been right here all along. Where is your faith?”
YES! Where IS our faith? When God isn’t yet calming the storms of life, does our faith go out the window? Or do we put our trust in Him, and have faith that He’ll take action on HIS timetable, in HIS sovereign ways? And furthermore, do we have faith that God has ALL THE POWER to calm any storm that overtakes us? That anything is possible for Him?
Oh boy, I don’t know about you, but there’ve been so many times I’ve panicked just like the disciples did! When the aches and pains don’t get healed immediately, or the 20th job interview still didn’t yield an offer, or the struggles aren’t going away… it can be so easy to freak out and think that God isn’t with us after all.
My Jesus calms the storm commentary culminates in this truth: Jesus was right there in the boat with the disciples, all along. And God is right there with us in the storms of life—He has been all along!
The real Jesus calms the storm meaning can be explained with a sunshine analogy. When thunderstorms come, we don’t wonder where the sun went. We know it’s still there, warming the earth, and providing light (however dimmed it is during the storm). We don’t freak out and say there is no sun, or the sun is never going to shine again. We know that when the storm passes, and the clouds part, the sun will shine on us once more!
And likewise, we can trust that God is still with us, even when His goodness is obscured by the clouds. He still keeps us warm, and provides just enough light for the day. And when He calms the storm, we’ll see once again that He was there all along!
(By the way, I can’t really take credit for the sunshine analogy. I heard it somewhere recently, possibly on K-LOVE radio or DesiringGod.org, for which I’m so thankful! It really does make a lot of sense, doesn’t it?)
Bible Journaling Tutorial: Jesus Calms the Storm
So now, to commemorate this Jesus calms the storm lesson for adults, let’s Bible journal! As I always say, Bible art journaling is just such a great way to meditate on God’s Word, and to sear this lesson into our brains in a visually impactful way! Check out the video tutorial, or follow along with the written steps below…
SUPPLIES:
To create your own Jesus calms the storm page, here are the supplies you’ll need…
- Faber-Castell Gelatos (I used colors from the Metallics, Iridescents I, and Iridescents II sets)
- Ranger mini mister spray bottles (handy for turning the Gelatos into watercolors)
- Paintbrush (any size you like, for applying the Gelatos as watercolors)
- Ranger Heat It craft drying tool (optional, for quick drying in-between steps)
- Sweet n’ Sassy Stamps ‘Peace Be Still’ stamp set
- Archival Ink pad in black
- VersaColor ink pad in turquoise
- Tombow Twintone pens (or any other Bible pens you like)
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
Feel free to mix it up, and do your own thing! You definitely don’t have to follow the exact steps I did for this Jesus calms the storm page, but if you want to, here is the order…
- BEFORE YOU START: If you’re using a regular journaling Bible, I highly recommend applying gesso first, to strengthen and protect the paper from bleed-through. If you’re using an Illustrating Bible though, you can skip this step.
- Begin with a light wash of color all over the page. Apply your Gelatos onto a paper palette, plate, or other waterproof surface, then spray or drip water on it to make watercolors. Use your brush to apply to the page. (I applied two coats of ‘aquamarine’ (from the Iridescents II set) to begin with).
- If desired, place a piece of cardstock over the featured verses (Matthew 8:23-27) to block them off, before adding another coat of color. Use removable tape to attach it to the page, then paint all around it. (I added a coat of ‘metallic blueberry’ from the Metallics set for this step). Remove the cardstock and tape once you’re done.
- Now, it’s time for stamps! Grab the wind stamp from the Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps ‘Peace Be Still’ set, and use Archival Ink to stamp it. The Archival Ink is excellent, because it’s quick-drying, and won’t smear, smudge, or run, even when you color or paint over it!
- Next, smear some Gelatos directly on the stamped image. Use your fingers to blend as desired! (I used ‘blue moon’ from the Iridescents I set, to represent wind).
- Apply the “He calms the storm in me.” stamp! You can use any type of ink, as long as you don’t plan to color or paint over it, in which case you would want to use Archival Ink. (I used a VersaColor pigment ink pad in turquoise.)
- Repeat steps #4 & #5 with the ocean waves stamp. Pick some different Gelatos colors, to represent the water. (I used a combination of ‘blue moon’ and ‘nebula’ from the Iridescents I set). Optionally, you can paint a little extra color in with a brush, which is what I did.
- Finally, take a colored pen, such as the Tombow Twintone, and underline whichever verses you want to emphasize. Jesus’ question “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” really hits home for me, so that’s what I wanted to highlight!
That’s it! That’s all there is to it. So simple, right? This Jesus calms the storm lesson for adults is so profound, because it beckons us to consider: Why ARE we so afraid? Lord, increase our faith and trust in You!
Hi! Thank you so much for visiting Divine Creative Love. I’m a Jesus-lovin’ girl, lettering artist, designer, and general creative-at-heart. And, I have narcolepsy. I blog about faith in God, overcoming challenges, and creative topics such as Bible journaling. If you’re new here, be sure and subscribe to my list so you won’t miss anything!