Christian Living, Faith & Women

In the Middle of the Storm

May 14, 2023

The Christian journey is one that features struggles, hardships, trials and test. Look through scripture and see that every man/woman who followed God went through some kind of difficulty or storm, including Jesus.

And as much as these struggles are common, we do find ourselves, from time to time, shifting our gaze to the height, the width and strength of the storm forgetting the one that we walk with the one who calms the storm.

Take a look at Luke 8:22-25.

The Storm Over the Sea of Galilee

22 One day, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A storm came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

~Luke 8:22-25

Let’s break down the scriptures, shall we?

In verse 22 we see Jesus and the disciples setting out to cross the lake of Galilee, symbolic to our lives and our walk of faith: that it is a journey.

We are taking strides every single day to be better, to do better. We are navigating through seasons, hills and valleys and we even have to cross lakes at some point. And just like the disciples in this verse, they set out on another leg of their journey.

However, what was a calm, non-eventful journey turned into a storm that was tossing their boat around, filling it water and the fear that they would go under as their boat sank (verse 23).

And to make it worse, Jesus was sleeping. SLEEPING!!

In the middle of a storm, the only person who had the power & authority to change the situation was asleep.

And I wonder how many of us have felt that way, or feel that way? That when the road gets rough, and the winds pick up and we are being tossed left to right by life’s storms, Jesus is silent.

Or when the world grows dark and everything is going wrong in the world, He is silent.

He is nowhere to be seen. He can’t be heard. You can’t feel him neither can you sense Him.

He is Present, even in the storm.

But that doesn’t change the fact that He is there. That He is present, even in the storm.

Look at that verse again: Jesus and the disciples set out on the journey. Jesus and the disciples got into the boat, TOGETHER, and He was still in the boat when the storm began.

When you chose to surrender your life to Christ and to walk this walk of faith, Jesus began the journey with you. When you took that bold step of faith, He was right there, holding your hand as He took it.

When everything was going well and you were growing and maturing in faith, He was right there, cheering you on and encouraging you. And when it got dark and you walked through the valley of the shadow of death, He was still there. He was covering you, loving you and holding your hand.

Beloved, just because Jesus seems to be asleep to you, doesn’t mean that He isn’t there.

It doesn’t mean that He doesn’t see your pain or your frustration. It doesn’t mean that He has stopped working. Neither does it mean that He isn’t a good God or a faithful God because it get hard.

Often times it is we who lose sight of him.

It is us who remove our eyes from Him and what He says concerning our situation and begin to focus on the storm and how it will take us under.

We lose our faith and we allow fear to grip our hearts.

“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

Luke 8:25a

Remind yourself of WHO He is, and what HE can do

I want you to remember that the Jesus who calmed the storm over 3000 years ago in Luke 8:22-25 is the same one who can and will calm the storm in your life today. He is the same Jesus who will arise and command the roaring waters to be still, and he will lead you to green pastures where he will restore your soul.

But I also want you to remind yourself of who He is.

Instead of focusing on how hard the situation is; on how tough the storm is; and on how defeated you feel, remind yourself of that Jesus is the God of all; He is the God who calms the raging storms, and never will he leave you nor forsake you.

And also remember, that during a test, the teacher is often quiet. They sit in the background, not saying a word, but, they are EVER-PRESENT.

So, child of God, encourage yourself in the Lord today, just like David did in Psalm 42.

Speak truth to your mind and heart today. Speak it to your situation and over your situation because that is HOW you will overcome. That is the only way you will be able to keep your eyes fixed on him when the storm comes.

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