Caught in a Storm
Have you ever been caught in a rainstorm? A few weeks ago, my mom came to visit, and we went for a walk. When we started out, the sky looked completely clear. No rain on the forecast. About 30 minutes into our walk, we noticed the sky was getting dark, so we quickened our pace. A minute or two later a torrential downpour erupted on us.
“Where did that come from?” I remember saying to my mom while we stood under a tree waiting for my husband to come pick us up. The storm ending up subsiding after only about 10 minutes, but the 5 or so minutes we were caught in it weren’t fun. We came home drenched to the bone.
As I heard a pastor say recently, in the Christian life you are either just getting out of a storm, in a storm, or about to enter a storm. I feel as though I am in the middle of a metaphorical “storm” right now. The sky is dark, the clouds are full of rain, and I’m stuck under a tree, waiting for the storm to abate, waiting for my Father to lead me home.
Recently, I read the story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4:35-41. After a full day of preaching and healing, Jesus tells the disciples to go to the other side of the sea. The disciples, a few of whom were experienced fisherman, must have known that this was a long trip and that the Sea of Galilee was unpredictable. Yet Jesus says to go, so they go. He knows that they will encounter a really bad storm, but He still says go because He has purpose in it.
At some point, a storm descends on them. The storm gets so bad that they are worried for their lives. And what is Jesus doing in this storm? He’s asleep in the back of the boat!
When they realize this, they wake Jesus up and say to Him: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Clearly, they thought that Jesus did not care because He was not stopping the storm.
They associated Jesus’ love and care for them with favorable circumstances.
I, too, have been tempted to believe this lie: If God really loved me and cared for me, then He wouldn’t allow these things to happen. So He must not really love me.
Yet I know that’s not true. God’s Word gives me evidence. God Himself says in Isaiah 43, “When you walk through the waters, I will be with you and the flames they will not consume you… Do not fear.” Romans 8:35 reminds us that nothing can separate us from God’s love: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” And Paul instructs us to glory in our sufferings because “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
As soon as the disciples wake Jesus up, he rebukes the wind and sea: “Peace! Be still.” And immediately the windstorm stops and there is great calm. When the fear-ridden disciples wake Jesus up, out of love and care of them, He immediately speaks to the storm.
Just like the disciples, when the storm has raged the loudest for me, I’ve cried out to God for help, and He’s answered me. He has spoken into my distress and brought His peace, His shalom, to my mind and heart.
After He calms the storm, Jesus rebukes the disciples for their lack of faith in Him: “Do you still have no faith?” In the heat of the moment, they let their fear overtake them to the point that they thought they were going to die—even though Jesus was with them the whole time! Jesus would go to tell the disciples that following Him would involve suffering. The same is true for us today.
Through reflecting on this story, God taught me a powerful lesson:
Physical circumstances, whether positive or negative, have no correlation to God’s steadfast love for His children.
Dear Saints, Jesus is with you in whatever storm you are facing right now. Not in the flesh, but in the person of the Holy Spirit (God himself) living inside of you. He will get you safely through any storm as you hold on tightly to Him. Even though you may experience the effects of the storm, as my mom and I did with our rain-soaked clothes and hair, He will bring you safely home.
He simply asks us to have faith.
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.