In the Midst of the Storm

I love children.  They can provide such insight, and the Lord has shown me many things about my relationship with Him through children.  As my boys grow older, I see their desire for independence, and that causes moments of frustration for them when they are unable to complete a task on their own.  As a parent, I sit back and watch their efforts, all the while knowing that they will need help.  However, I will wait for them to ask me for that help.  It isn’t a matter of superiority on my part, rather, a realization on their behalf that there will be some things in life that they can’t do on their own.   Maybe you can relate if you are in a position of leadership where you work.  You see those around you that may need guidance on a project or a duty that has been assigned to them.  You are there, waiting for them to come to you with their need, realizing that you want to help them.

In Mark 6:45-52, Jesus is sending his disciples across the sea after the miracle of feeding the five thousand.  Jesus sent them.  As they sailed across, a storm rose upon the sea, so much that it frightened the disciples.  Several of them were fishermen before Christ called them to be disciples, so this must have been a mighty storm to have troubled them.  When Jesus saw their situation, He walked out to them.  A phrase really struck me as I read verse 48 when it said and he would have passed by them.  He was walking out in the middle of the storm for no other reason than to help them, but he would have passed by them.  You see, Jesus wanted them to truly recognize His deity and power.  He wanted them to recognize their need for Him and call upon Him.  He wanted them to know that He could intervene in their desperate situation.  In the midst of our storms, we need to realize where our help comes from (Psalm 121:1-2).  Christ is walking in the midst of your storm today, too.  On the sea of life, we are going to face storms.  If the waters were always calm and if the storms were never raging, we would never learn to lean on Him.  A songwriter penned these words, “If we never had a problem, we’d never know that He could solve them,” and there is much truth in that.  When you face a storm, don’t try to sail it alone.  Just for today, Look to Christ who is waiting to step between you and your storm.