A WORD FOR TODAY, February 13, 2026
Peggy Hoppes
We pray you have been blessed by this daily devotion. If you received it from a friend, you can see other devotions and studies by visiting our website at www.awordfortoday.org.
Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, February 13, 2026
“When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. The disciples came to him and woke him up, saying, ‘Save us, Lord! We are dying!’ He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.” Matthew 8:23-26, WEB
“As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving. Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ. For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily, and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.” Colossians 2:6-9, WEB
Superstition is defined, “A widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based on such a belief.” Most superstitions are considered irrational, although everybody has something that they hold to, even if it is subconsciously. There are periods in history that are more superstitious than others. The people who lived in those times were more likely to attribute events, particularly negative, as supernatural signs that were beyond their control. Superstitions are often connected to fears, often seeking supernatural means to control what we fear will bring us harm.
There is a video online of a herd of cows moving from one field to another. For some reason, the first cow jumped over the white painted line in the center of the road. All the other cows followed. It is a funny video, but it brought to memory the childhood superstition “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Step on a line, break your father’s spine.” It was just a game, but we played along because something deep in us were afraid of the consequences of stepping on the cracks and lines.
The source of most superstitions is questionable. Look up “Friday the 13th” and you’ll discover a number of different reasons why it has become a day of bad luck. None of them are truly rational. The number 13 has long been considered unlucky. It is thought to go back to the Code of Hammurabi, a legal document from the 18th century B.C. which omitted the thirteenth law from its list of rules. However, like all superstitious, this theory fails because the laws were not originally numbered and the missing law was an error by a scribe. Still, many people avoid the number thirteen. Tall buildings often do not have a thirteenth floor. People avoid planning important events, avoid the thirteenth of a month (even when the thirteenth is not a Friday, but especially when it is a Friday.)
In the Bible and other cultures, the number twelve is a perfect number. We have twelve months and two twelve-hour periods of time each day. There are twelve tribes and twelve disciples. There are twelve days of Christmas. It is no wonder that the number thirteen seems lacking. Some people refuse to have thirteen guests at a dinner party. To quote one website on the matter, “This fear of the unknown would seem to play into two other popular theories for the number’s unlucky connotation, both of which revolve around the appearance of a 13th guest at two ancient events: In the Bible, Judas Iscariot, the 13th guest to arrive at the Last Supper, is the person who betrays Jesus. Meanwhile ancient Norse lore holds that evil and turmoil were first introduced in the world by the appearance of the treacherous and mischievous god Loki at a dinner party in Valhalla. He was the 13th guest, upsetting the balance of the 12 gods already in attendance.” It has been suggested that Friday the 13th is particularly unlucky because the Last Supper was on Thursday, which led to the betrayal of Judas and the death of Jesus. No wonder people don’t want thirteen guests at a dinner party.
Do you suffer from paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia, which are terms that describe an abnormal fear of Friday the 13th? According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Ashville, North Carolina, millions of people suffer from this phobia to the point of changing their daily routine on the day to avoid bad luck. Some people refuse to go to work or even get out of bed. Interestingly, the Dutch Center for Insurance Statistics report that fewer accidents, fires, or thefts reportedly happen when Friday is the 13th compared to all other Fridays. So, is it really unlucky? Or are people so frightened by the possibility of an accident that they are extra careful on Friday the 13th?
Imagine what sort of day the disciples were having when they experienced this storm. There’s no way for us to know whether it was a Friday the 13th, but it wasn’t exactly a banner day. It started out pretty good, but Jesus’ reputation was starting to take over, with many people seeking Jesus for healing. They were coming to Him because He’d healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Though Jesus was willing to heal, the crowds were missing out on the real purpose of His presence, so He tried to move on to another place by crossing over the lake. His departure was interrupted by those who wanted to know what it takes to be a disciple. Jesus told them that the cost is great. This was not the message they wanted to hear.
In today’s passage, the disciples were in the boat crossing to the other side. They were amazed at what had happened, but they were also emotionally spent. Can you imagine what it must have been like to see so many people suffering from dis-ease and possession, including someone they loved? Can you imagine how it must have felt to hear that following Jesus would have such a great cost? Then, just as it seemed like they might find some peace from this hectic and stressful day, a storm swept over the boat. Is it any wonder that the disciples might have been afraid?
But we work up our own fear without remembering that we do not go through our days alone. Friday the 13th is like any other day; we are afraid because we do not trust. Jesus answered their fear with a simple question, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” He asks us the same question today. If you are afraid to go out into the world because it is Friday the 13th, remember that Jesus is with you and face the day with courage and faith. It might not be a perfect day, but with God in the midst of it, everything will work out just the way He has planned.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276.