Leviticus 9:7-24; Mark 4:26-41; Psalms 37:34-40; Proverbs 13:1
NT: “On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?” He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”” (Mark 4:35-40 CSB)
Many people believe that when they encounter “storms“ it is because they did something wrong. Sometimes that is true. But there are times you encounter “storms” because you are doing right and following the Lord. The disciples would have been “safe” had they ignored Jesus and stayed on shore. Following Jesus actually took them into danger. As the water began swamping the boat, and Jesus was peacefully asleep in the stern, the circumstances began to overwhelm the disciples. They lost faith and began to panic, and actually accused Jesus of not caring whether they lived or died. The concern that Jesus had wasn’t that they were afraid – but that they allowed fear to overwhelm them and cause them to lose their faith. The Greek word for afraid here carries the connotation of giving in because of fear and becoming cowards. It is natural to be afraid, but when we are afraid we can take refuge in Christ by faith. We must not lose faith and fall into panic and cowardice. We are called to be men and women who faithfully and courageously follow Jesus, the Lord of All, into any situation and remain faithful through faith in Him until the end.
Psalms: “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land. You will watch when the wicked are destroyed… Watch the blameless and observe the upright, for the person of peace will have a future. But transgressors will all be eliminated; the future of the wicked will be destroyed. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, their refuge in a time of distress. The Lord helps and delivers them; he will deliver them from the wicked and will save them because they take refuge in him.” (Psalms 37:34, 37-40 CSB)
What is the key to being able to stand victoriously on the other side of challenging and fearful situations? Waiting for the Lord and keeping His way. If soldiers scurry and flee every which way when the enemy attacks, they will be defeated. But if the soldiers hold formation and wait for orders from their general – and then follow his orders precisely, they will be victorious on the other side. When things get tough… when your hours get cut, when your customers stop coming, when you lose your job, when all of your investments tank… don’t start scurrying around trying to save yourself. Wait for the Lord. Wait for His instructions – and then keep His way. If you take refuge in the Lord… if you place your trust in Him, He will deliver you and you will have a future of promise.
Jamie Hicks 