A Word from Our President
“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4:37-41 NKJV
A friend of mine who is a professional driver in every sense of the word recently endured a very difficult time in his life. A time in which I am sure he could see no way out. A storm of life, as we will call it. We all find ourselves in the middle of life’s storms at times. The Bible tells us that “it rains on the just and the unjust alike,” Matthew 5:45. However, as obedient children of God, we are not at the mercy of those storms. We have access to a peace in the middle of the storms, a refuge, a strong tower, a savior, knowledge that we serve a God that speaks to the wind and calms the seas, but it’s up to us to walk in the power of that knowledge.
The scriptures are clear that God does not want us walking in fear but rather, standing in faith. We can stand in faith against the spirit of fear only because of the knowledge of God’s proven faithfulness to come through on His promises. However, while His love is contingent on nothing, the promises of God are contingent on our obedience to His commandments. This is why we find over and over in scripture, that there is a correlation between walking in obedience to God’s instructions and commandments and walking in the peace of God. There is a comfort and strength in knowing that, if God called you to it, He will get you through it. Trust Him and be at Peace.
However, if you know in your heart that your current trials are a mess of your own making brought about from a lack of obedience, from taking matters into your own hands, or even from outright rebellion, it’s not too late. Submit to God, and cry out for help. If you are ready to trust in Him fully, He will restore your peace. The truth is that life for a Christian isn’t really about avoiding the storms but rather learning to keep our focus on Jesus in the midst of them.
If you never encounter a stormy sea you’ll never learn how to calm one; you’ll never understand the majesty, power, compassion, and faithfulness of the God you serve. Make a decision today to walk in obedience and faith and start trusting the power of God more than the power of the storm. Stop telling God how big the storms are, and start telling the storms how big your God is. To help keep your focus on Jesus during those slow-moving storms fill your mind, heart, and time with prayer, compassion for others, appreciation to God, all the good things He has done for you, and all the storms He has already brought you through.
Remember this too will pass.