It is rare to see back-to-back storms—Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. What did we learn from the first and how will that education impact our actions and attitudes of the second?
The Bible records another set of storms which occurred almost on the heels of each other. In Chapter 4 of Mark’s Gospel, Mark records, “a furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped.” A storm had hit the Sea of Galilee and the disciples were caught in the middle of both—the storm and the Sea. Mark states the disciples were ‘terrified”.
Many of us were there just over a week ago. Winds howling. Trees splintering. Homes crushing. Power gone. We, like the disciples, were at the mercy of the storm, or so it seemed.
Where was God a week ago? Where was God in the storm? Where was Jesus when the disciples were about to sink?
He was there.
Overcome by the circumstances, the disciples woke Jesus up crying, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Quieting the wind and the waves, Jesus confronts their focus on the storm, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Just two chapters later, Mark 6 has the disciples fighting the storm and surf a second time. Yet this time Jesus isn’t in the boat. He is on the water…walking toward them. This time, Peter isn’t fearful. He is faith-filled. Matthew’s account of this moment indicates Peter learned a lot from the previous storm. Rather than crying out, for God to change the circumstances, Peter stepped out and walked to Jesus…on the water, above and amid the circumstances. His faith in Christ and his focus on Jesus allowed him to be unaffected by the storm itself—even though it looked like he was in peril. Only when fear crept in did his feet falter.
As we look to life ahead, to the next few days and beyond to the next few years, I pray we have learned God is sovereign over all things, all the circumstances, and all the storms. He is with us and is calling us to walk in faith—into the very eye of the storm. He wants us to live a life asking, “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You” and ready to respond by stepping out of the boat. It may seem perilous but only through human eyes.
God calls us to jettison the comfort and control of being on board and experience the life of going overboard to walk in faith doing things that can only be done when our focus is on Jesus.
There are all kinds of storms—natural disasters, financial crises, family breakdowns, physical ailments, and many more. Do not fear! Hold fast to your faith and focus on Christ. Walk on the water.