Safe IN the Storm
Thanks again for bravely facing your fear and hearing all that God has for us in overcoming these spiritual obstacles! I recently learned some amazing statistics that helped put my own fears into perspective. These were the numbers:
60% of our fears are totally unfounded
20% of our fears are already behind us
10% of our fears are so petty they don’t make any difference
5% of the remaining are real but there is nothing we can do about them
5% percent are left that we can actually do something about.
Today, I want to focus on the 5 percent that we can actually do something about!
Luke 8:22-25 says, “One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 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. "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, NIV)
One of the fear areas that many people share is losing control. I was thinking about this story through that lens. In this story, the disciples had no control over Jesus’ agenda and this is what they didn’t know, Jesus was going to save them IN the storm, not FROM the storm. Jesus knew that storm was coming so He went with them. They also had no control over the sleeping habits of Jesus. What is Jesus doing IN the crisis? He’s sleeping! And the list goes on and on, they have no control over the storm (it was a total surprise), the boat (the wind stole this control), their direction (the wind also determined this factor), and their emotions (which were out of control in terror). Everything is out of their control but they have one answer to all of their fears and He is in the boat with them!
friend, Jesus is in the boat with you! Jesus is the answer to “Who is this?” He is the one who controls the storms, the wind and the waves and He is in the boat with you. This same Jesus has a question for you in the face of your fear, “Where is your faith?”
My dear friend, when I am in crisis, I have found that my faith is one of two ways—huge or non-existent. How about yours? The disciple’s faith is gone, but who do they run to? Jesus. In the face of disappearing faith, who still answers? Jesus. And He promises that at some point, the storm will be over, the calm will return, the fear will subside and His presence will still be with us.
I have no idea what storm you are facing, but I do know you are not alone in the boat!
Just like David, who faced many storms in his life, you can say, “God is our (MY) refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we (I)will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3, NIV)
Never forget my friend....
You are a miracle!
