What do you think of when you hear the word ‘storm’? I don’t know about you but when I think of stormy weather, I picture an often vicious event that has the ability to disrupt our plans and sense of control.
Physical storms have wreaked havoc in countless lives throughout history, but often the heaviest storms are not the ones the world reports on. They are the storms in our own lives.
They are the broken relationships you are experiencing, the rebellious child you are praying for, the illness that bites away at your strength daily, the strenuous work situation you find yourself in and the anxiety of what lies ahead.
One thing we can be sure of when it comes to lightning strikes and hail showers is that in time it passes. In time the sun begins to crack through the sky again and the storm leaves the ground with new growth. It is the same for our lives.
In Mark 4:35-41 we see the disciples caught in the middle of a rowdy storm. Their natural response was ‘we are about to go down!’ Isn’t that our immediate response to storms too? We surrender to fear, discouragement and anxiety.
The storm seemed so overwhelming that they didn’t realize the person who was there with them in the storm was Jesus Himself. In the middle of this storm Jesus was asleep, and when He awoke He responded calmly. He simply spoke to the storm and it settled immediately.
The disciples stared in awe and fear, wondering ‘who is this that even the seas obey Him?’ That is a question we have to ask ourselves. This event confirmed to them that Jesus was God, that He was sovereign and trustworthy. Who is Jesus to you in your storm?
Jesus could sleep in the storm not only because He was aware of it but more than that, He was in control of it. Jesus had the authority over the storm that the disciples were caught in. When Jesus is in the boat with you, know that He is in control and that you are in comforting company.
We can not escape the storms of life, but they will eventually pass, even if we experience a particular storm our whole life, it comes to an end. We can look forward to a future where He will wipe away all our tears and reap the reward of faithfulness to Christ, in all storms of life.
Scripture: “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
A prayer for you: Father, as the storms of life beat against me, please help me to strengthen my foundation in You. Please help me to fix my eyes on You in the midst of my storm and to remember that You are Lord over every part of my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Be encouraged and be blessed 💞
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