Right now I am sitting at my laptop, writing, really wanting some hot coffee, and listening to the thunder outside. The sky has dark clouds and the forecast is predicting a chance of thunderstorms. It’s perfect weather to bundle under the covers in bed and read a good book, which I may do in a few minutes. But the weather has me thinking about the storms we as Christians often face in our lives.
I’ve been through a lot of dark storms in my life. Some of those storms have served to strengthen my relationship with God by causing me to totally rely on Him, such as severe financial crises that Ray and I have endured in our marriage. Other storms were designed by Satan to wipe out my life (I’ve had 3 head-on car collisions) or to cause as much destruction in my life as possible – like my childhood abuse and domestic violence from my ex-husband, that I share about in my new ebook.
Storms can be sudden and frightening, something that you feel totally unprepared for – such as a baby born with medical problems, a spouse or a parent having a stroke, a military spouse, son or daughter wounded or killed in battle overseas, the loss of a job, or any number of unpleasant situations.
What do we do when we’re staring into the face of a storm, and our hearts are filling with fear? Let’s look at what Jesus tells us to do in Mark 4: 36-41:
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
The storm inside the disciples was greater than the one outside – the storm of fear. Jesus doesn’t want us to be afraid, but to have faith and trust in Him. The next time the storm clouds gather in your life, speak with authority to the storm as Jesus did: “Silence! Be still!” Don’t be afraid, but have faith in Christ.
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