March 12, 2021 – Click here to listen
I wrote something this week and received zero comments from you guys which seemed odd to me because I thought it was very profound. I wrote that I desire to, Stop trying to calm the storms of life and instead calm myself.
For me this painted a beautiful picture of Mark 4: 35. Jesus standing up in His disciple’s little boat in the raging stormy sea of Galilee and rebuking the storm. Jesus had been asleep and the waves threatened to sink the boat. The terrified disciples awakened Him and Jesus gets up and tells the wind and waves to be still and suddenly the storm abated. It is how things should work – We trust in God to deliver us and calm ourselves and patiently await Him. As displayed by the disciples sometimes this is easier to say than do and fear takes over our lives.
Jesus was rather casual about the event and asked the disciples why they were so afraid. Unbeknownst to the disciples, but known to Jesus, awaiting Him on the other side was an even larger storm, a man possessed with many demons who lived among the tombs, a man who could break chains with his demonic strength and people were too terrified of him to pass that way. The ferocity of the wind and the size of the waves were not the real enemy. Jesus was on a mission, what awaited them on the other side of the water was a more fierce storm, the real enemy.
Jesus does not take people out into the middle of the sea to drown them. He takes people across the sea so that they can participate in his work of redemption of the lost. He does not stand afar off to do this. No, he enters the darkness, the evil, the suffering of this world, and he transforms it from within. If we are following Him, then we too will enter this darkness. We need to keep Jesus in sight and know that it is He that calms the storms and focus on calming ourselves.
Storms threaten to sink our faith. I’m not talking about troublesome every day inconveniences like a flat tire or a hassle at work. These are the intense difficulties that cause us to question God’s goodness. Prolonged illness, the death of a child, a loved one, family member, or good friend, a loss of purpose, a marriage destroyed. All of these things are common to life.
Sometimes it might seem like God is asleep at the wheel. If He really cared, if He really understood, then surely He would stop this from happening. We pray for healing and relief, for opportunity, for reconciliation, for anything that will make the storm pass and we await His action.
While relief from the storm is what we covet, it is not the best thing that can happen to us. The best thing that can happen is for us to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. The enemy can use the storms of life to make you anxious, afraid, hurt, and discouraged. God can use them to make you fearless, secure, and steadfast.
Jesus can calm the storm in your life. But even if he does not, you can trust that he will uphold you, you can believe that he will transform you, and you can know that He loves you.
I have some friends who know me well and understand that I do not fear death in the least. I have faced it numerous times and almost succumbed to it more than one occasion. But through it all I did not fear it. Why? My friend Murf the Surf used to say it was because I had a loose wire in my brain, I told him that was like the pot calling the kettle black. In reality my lack of fear is because of my faith. I know God has a reason for allowing me to experience storms and I know that they will eventually end well and heaven is the next great adventure. Better to hunker down, grit my teeth, and await the nice sunny calm days and smiles all around.
No matter the storm you are facing today, just trust in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:16
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
Have a great day and go to church this Sunday!