Lessons From the Storm

It's a beautiful, cold morning here in Virginia! Between setting our clocks back this past weekend and turning our heat on for the first time, I am well aware that November is here. Since beginning my job, it is harder to squeeze time to write into my week, but I dearly love writing this blog and am so thankful for the opportunity to still have this avenue of ministry. I had several ideas in mind for this week's blog, but when it came time to write, the Lord gave me something else completely different. I'm afraid it is a little long. But I have learned over the years in both my teaching and my writing that when He shows me something from His Word, that is the best thing I can share, because it is coming from my heart.

The text I was reading was Matthew 14:22-35, about Jesus rescuing His disciples in the midst of the storm on the sea of Galilee. Of course I have read this account many times before, but the Lord seemed to give me new insight into it this time. Maybe it's because I can relate to the storm, to the disciples, and especially to their assumptions.

The disciples were simply obeying Jesus' command. He had told them to get in the boat and cross to the other side (verse 22). So I am sure that they assumed that they would be successful, because that was the objective Jesus had given them. When we are obedient to God's will for us, we assume that we will be successful. We left a great church after almost 18 years of ministry in obedience to God's directing us to come here. It was not a decision we made lightly or easily. Once we did, we assumed that because God was bringing us here that He was going to leave us here for awhile, and that He would accomplish great things in our new ministry.

But Jesus had a different purpose in mind for the disciples. He wanted to teach them something along the way. He purposefully planted them in the middle of a raging storm. He knew about it ahead of time - He's God! And Jesus waited, taking the time alone to pray, until the disciples were out in the middle of the sea (verses 23-24). It struck me as I was reading this - I wonder what He was praying about? Could it be that He was praying for His disciples who would soon be encountering this storm? I also think it is interesting that He waited until they were in the middle of the sea before He went to them. He knew they would be at the point where they could not do anything to rescue themselves, and when they would be the most desperate.

They must have wondered why Jesus would send them into this terrible storm, and when it would be over, and how they were going to survive. I can totally relate to those feelings. This time of stormy trial that we have been in now is coming up on 5 months. Sometimes I still feel like I am floundering. I wonder what is going on, why things turned out so differently, and when this will end.

When Jesus came to rescue them, the disciples didn't recognize that it was Him. They had assumed they were alone and that He was far away. But His words to them erased all doubt, and it was those few, simple words that really spoke to me:

"Be of good cheer, It is I, be not afraid." (verse 27)

Be of good cheer? How am I supposed to be of good cheer when I am in the middle of this life-threatening storm? What am I doing here, anyway? I can only "be of good cheer" when I respond to the next part -

"It is I. Be not afraid." I love that. It's Him - it's Jesus. The disciples knew that voice, and they knew the love, the power, the authority behind that voice. They had just seen Jesus do a miracle in feeding the 5000. Because Jesus is who He is, I don't have to be afraid. He's right there with me, and He comes to rescue me sooner or later.

One more thing - when they got to the other side, they worshipped (verse 32). They knew Jesus better, and they trusted Him more. That's my prayer - that when I finally am on the other side of this storm, that I will worship Him, because I will know Him better and will love Him more. Even when His purposes are very different from what we assume they will be.

Lovingly,
Kathi