The Storms of Life

 The lectionary readings for this week are:

Job 38:1-11
Acts 27:13-26
Mark 4:35-41

In all three of these readings there are some common threads: Storms and major life challenges will come.  Also, God is faithful, he honors his promise to protect and provide through those challenges.

Mark 4:35-41

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee]."  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.  There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.  The disciples woke and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet!  Be still!"  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?"

They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this?  Even the wind and the waves obey him?"

Several of the disciples were professional fishermen.  They knew the Sea of Galilee well.  This most likely was not the first time they had been caught in the middle of the lake when a storm suddenly blew in.  There response was interesting, though.  We're not told how long they tried to fight the waves themselves, but it doesn't seem like they fought the storm for very long before waking up Jesus.

Reading through the text, it doesn't seem like Jesus was mad that they woke him up.  He rebukes them for their lack of faith.  That was displayed with their accusation toward him, "Don't you care if we drown?"  They accused Jesus of not caring about them.  It is a ridiculous accusation, but how often are we guilty of the same thing?  We get overwhelmed with the storms that hit us in our life, we panic, and turn to God, "Don't you care about me God?  How could you let this happen?"

This is obviously a ridiculous question.  God loves us.  He has demonstrated his love for us in so many ways, it is total arrogance to even ask such a question of God.  Here Jesus gave a short, but strong rebuke to his disciples.  In Job 38-39 God gives Job a lengthy and crushing rebuke.  Job quickly recognized that he had been a whiny baby about his challenges and God didn't owe him an explanation.

God doesn't owe us an explanation for the challenges we face in life.  In faith, we know that the storms of life are the result one thing- sin.  We live in a sinful world so sometimes bad stuff happens to everybody.  We also know that God uses those storms for our good (Romans 8:28).  

Sometimes the storms of life are of our own making.  They are the natural effect of sinful behavior or bad decisions.  Sometimes they are the natural side-effect of living in a sinful world.  Whatever the case, God always uses them as an opportunity to draw us closer to him.  In all three readings above Job, Paul, and the disciples turned to God to see them through the storm.  This is the same place that we must turn during the storms of life.  Only Jesus can carry us through.

You never need question Jesus' love for you like the disciples did.  Jesus cares about you.  Jesus loves you.  His greatest statement of just how much he loves you was made on Calvary.  He gave up his life that you may live.  Despite being totally innocent of any sin, he took all of yours on himself and paid the price for all of them on the cross.  No matter what happens in life, you can be confident of one thing: Because Jesus lives, you also will live.  God's got it all worked out all ready.  He is not suprised by the storms you face.

So do not worry, but seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all good things will be added to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)  That is God's promise to his children.

God bless.

Jason Fredrick