Life Storms

Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. ~ Matthew 8:26 (NLT)

There was an old fellow that lived near my dad and would come over and sit on his front porch on late summer evenings. One evening I was there and the wind was getting up. “Why God made the wind makes no sense to me,” he said. “You can’t hunt in it, you can’t fish in it; I know everything He made has a purpose, but I have no idea what the wind does!” I know what purpose He has for the wind but I have not figured out what mosquitoes do.

Life storms; they come unexpectedly just like the one here the disciples were battling. Storms invoke fear. Fear; because we cannot control them. Damage and loss are usually the results of storms. We get a phone call in the middle of the night or while at the mall, and suddenly we find ourselves in the same boat with the disciples. Fear sets in; fear that we are going to have to face the worst; perhaps the loss of a child, a parent, or a loved one. A few moments earlier we were sailing clear across still waters with a friendly breeze in our face and then the phone call or the pink slip comes and our boat begins to fill with water. The wind becomes fierce and the sky darkens. “Oh God” is usually the first thought we have or maybe even the first words we mutter. Mark tells us in his Gospel that they cried out to Jesus and asked, “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” If you read the Bible or have been in church very long you know what happens next; Jesus steps up and stills the storm. He knew the storm was coming; He had it all planned. “The devil was trying to kill them,” some say. If that was the case it was still allowed by God. Job experienced life at the hand of a loving God that allowed the devil to try him. Jesus then teaches us a lesson about fear; it comes upon us because in that instant instead of trusting God to keep us from going under we feel helpless and hopeless. With the wind driving the water into our face, the boat rocking from side to side dipping up water with each plunge under the waves, we struggle to hold onto the mast and thoughts of drowning fill our mind. Jesus said that faith is our life jacket. Regardless of what comes against us Jesus can handle it. We may have to get wet and maybe even sea sick from the rocking boat but if we will turn to Him, He will calm our storm too. Faith and trust go hand in hand. If we are willing to trust Christ to save us from Hell then we must learn to trust Him to save us from hell on earth. If you are sailing on the sea of life today and you are not in the boat with Jesus then be afraid; be very afraid. But if you are on board with Him then enjoy the ride knowing that when the storm comes, and it will, He will take care of it; and you.