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JESUS doesn’t always calm the storm, but he NEVER joins our panic
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Read 1 Peter 1:6-7
There have been moments in my life where fear has threatened to explode in my soul. It’s not just an image in my mind of a bad outcome. Instead, it’s that image accompanied by a cold sweat and a sinking feeling in my gut where there is no way out of my situation. It’s usually in those moments my prayer life becomes all important to me. In those seasons of life, when all options are exhausted, I find myself crying out to God for some help beyond me. We all feel that way at moments. It could be the sinking feeling of not knowing how you’re going to pay that bill or the long wait for test results from the doctor. The journey of life is riddled with these potholes of fear.
That’s where we find the disciples in this story. Storms are threatening and hope is slipping away. I’ve heard people point out how sad it is that we only feel the need for God when things get really bad. I agree that it’s better to be talking to God in the good and the bad times, but to the disciple’s credit, they cried out to the right guy. And, what if the middle of the sea was Jesus’ real destination, a lesson in the storm. If you’ve ever cried out to Jesus in the middle of a dire situation, you didn’t do something bad, you cried out to the perfect person.
We often encounter Jesus most clearly in the middle of the stormy seas. I wish it wasn’t that way, but before we vent about needing those encounters look at the personality of Jesus in those moments. When we cry out to Jesus for help, we never find a God who is also panicking. Instead, we find a peaceful Jesus who’s not afraid because he knows what to do. He doesn’t always choose to calm the storm, but he never joins our panic. A panicking soul may find comfort in seeing Jesus calm in the middle of the storm. So, whatever storm you’re facing today, you can try a different kind of prayer about those situations. Try imagining the unhurried peaceful nature of your God in the middle of your particular situation. He has an understanding look on his face – not a fearful one. He is at peace and his peace he offers to you.
Reflection and Response
Close your eyes for a minute and imagine the unhurried peaceful nature of God. Note what God’s face looks like and what he might say to you in the middle of your particular situation.
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By Aaron Bjorklund
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