THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 8:22-25
“The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!'” (Luke 8:24)
Where is God when we are in the midst of suffering or difficulty?
What is God doing when we are in that place.
The disciples are frantic, anxious, desperate… and Jesus sleeps.
It seems that He was content to ride the storm out.
He did not intend to stop the storm before it came… but to get through it.
Every time we struggle, we get desperate, and wonder where God is, what He is doing.
Is He maybe inviting us to rest with Him through the storm, to trust Him?
Jesus calmed the storm because of the weakness of their faith.
It was NOT His way of saying: ‘every time you have a storm, I will stop it’.
It was His way of saying: ‘c’mon, trust me through this storm, we can handle it!’
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me… You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23:4-5)
Jesus calms this storm to inspire weak faith, to remind us He is with us in power.
What good does all our frantic worry do, how does anxiety help us in difficulty?
As counter-intuitive as it seems, next time try resting, breathing deep, focusing on Jesus.
He will be with you in the presence of your struggles, He will lead you through them.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord resting in You is hard, but at least it offers hope. Anxiety only makes me feel worse. Instead of trying to wake You up, help me to rest with You, in You!