Handling the Storms of Life - 1

"As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let's cross to the other side of the lake.'  He was already in the boat, so they started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).  But soon a fierce storm arose.  High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water.  Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.  Frantically they woke him up, shouting, 'Teacher, don't you even care that we are going to drown?'  When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, 'Quiet down!'  Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.  And he asked them, 'Why are you so afraid?  Do you still not have faith in me?'  And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, 'Who is this man, that even the wind and waves obey him?'" - Mark 4:34-41 (NLT).

Sometimes storms are blowing in our lives.  The rain pelts us; the wind assails us; the lightning strikes us; the waves frighten us.  Our lives become a giant throbbing pain and our hearts turn to melted butter.  We know fear, and worry, and anxiety.  We understand sleepless nights, and bitter tears.  Sometimes the storm is big and sometimes small, but each lays siege to our heart like a mighty army.

What do we do when such storms, regardless of size, come into our lives?  How should we respond in order to make it through?  This story of Jesus calming the storm gives us some clues.  Within the real storm the disciples experienced, we find principles to guide us when our storms hit.

The first principle is that sometimes God himself sends us into the storms to work his will.  Notice that Jesus was the one who told his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake."  He sent them into the boat, the lake, and the storm.  He knew full well that a storm was coming, and sent them anyway. 

Why?  Because there was a mission on the other side of the lake.  As we continue to read Mark, we find that, after the storm, the disciples and Jesus ended up in the land of the Gerasenes to confront a man possessed by demons living among tombs.  Jesus cast out the demons, and his name was spread throughout the land.  The Good News was preached by those who saw what Jesus did, and souls were saved.

Sometimes, God sends us into storms because he is sending us on a mission.  It may or may not be clear to us, but it is to him.  He has something in mind, and he knows that in order for us to get where he wants us, we must first cross the lake where a storm will rage.  Yet, if we do not cross the lake, the souls that wait for us on the other side, will never be impacted by God through us.

Now it is much safer to never enter the boat.  We could ignore what God has told us to do in his Word or in our hearts through his Spirit, Church, and Word.  We could just sit on the shores, and at the first sign of trouble, run for shelter.  If we do this, we will be safe, but we will also be useless to the Master.  Our lives will be purposeless, and souls may be lost because we do not wish to face storms or difficulties.

We must come to grips with the reality that if we wish to be used by God, he will sometimes send us into storms that bring pain, so that we can accomplish his work.

God told Moses to lead Israel, knowing that many would resist and reject him; He sent Jeremiah to preach to the Jews, knowing that he wasn't going to make many converts, and wind up in a mud pit starving to death; He sent John the Baptist to Palestine to preach knowing he would be beheaded; He sent his Son, Jesus, knowing he would be brutally beaten and crucified.  In each case, God knew that storms were coming, but he sent his servants into them anyway.  Why?  Because there was a greater mission to be accomplished.  People's lives were at stake and their souls too.

Sure, you can avoid responsibility; you can sit back and not use your treasure and talents for God; you can refuse to get in the boat.  If you do, you might end up like Jonah in the belly of a great fish - - an even greater trial than any storm you might have avoided.  God will not allow you to ignore him for long.

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