At this writing, we are only a few weeks into the new year, and I am already wondering when it will be over! This year has come in like a whirlwind, like a storm ready to destroy everything in its path. I have been confronted with one problem after another; but as is true of any other storm, it is out of my control. So, what do I do now?
The natural human response is to have a pity party and to worry, but I am not supposed to follow my flesh. If I claim the name of Christ, my response to trouble should be spiritual. Being spiritual does not mean I must celebrate when things go wrong, nor does it mean that I will not have moments of frustration or anxiety. What it does mean is that I should turn to the Lord, seek His help, and trust that He will bring me through whatever He has allowed me to experience.
We have so many examples in the Bible of people in terrible situations who gained the victory because they trusted the Lord. I think of Moses’ mother who laid her infant son in the bullrushes, trusting God to take care of him. I consider the endurance of Job; the bravery of Daniel; the boldness of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; the consistency of Peter; and the world evangelism by Paul.
In Matthew 14, Jesus told the disciples to get into a ship and go to the other side. He already knew that a storm was coming, but He sent them anyhow. When they encountered the storm, the disciples were afraid. However, when Jesus showed up in the midst of the storm, Peter experienced the miracle of walking on the water. He only began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus.
We can just as easily sink into the storms of life when we stop focusing on Jesus. When these storms arise, we usually get concerned and begin to fear. It is human nature to focus on the howling winds, flashing lightning, and booming thunder instead of look for something good to come from them. Our attention is captivated by the devastation and destruction that storms bring, and because of this, we may fail to realize the most important thing about the storms. Jesus often leads us into the storms to teach us our limitations, to remind us that He is in control, to refine us, and to reveal Himself to us.
As this year continues, we know that storms will come; but we cannot forget that with the storms come opportunities to see God’s hand, to grow and learn, and to experience His blessings and miracles. When the storms rage, we can trust that Jesus is with us. If we trust in Him, we too can “walk on the water” and experience amazing miracles that only come from storms!
by Crystal Collingsworth
