How do you cope Dear Reader? What happens in your head and in your heart when adversity and trouble enter into your life? Faith is a pretty little thing when all is well and you haven't a care in the world. Faith becomes something quite different when the boat is rocked violently from side to side, is taking on water and threatens to capsize, tossing you like a bit of fluff into the raging sea...
"Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." Matthew 8:23-26. Notice the storm, how it came up without warning and was furious. Now picture a face, your face, marked with fury. Is this you when adversity and trouble come to you? What about fear, dread, despair? Imagine the faces of the disciples as wave upon crashing wave swept over the boat, soaking them, stinging their squinted eyes. They were afraid that this might be the end for them. Isn't this how it feels Dear Reader, when we have no control over outcomes? In a raging storm, we recognize that we are small and circumstances can seem so mighty that we could go down with the water laden ship. I call your attention once again to the disciples. They followed Jesus onto a boat and when trouble came, they woke a sleeping man, crying out for help. "Lord, SAVE US!" These words were yelled into the wind and noise of storm. In trouble, in adversity, we can panic and in desperation we shout someone please, save me, save me from this-I don't think I can survive.
"Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" They knew, didn't they Dear Reader, what manner of man this was? Why pray tell, did they wake Him and shout Lord, SAVE US! if they did not in their heart of hearts believe that He could and would? As for you, what are you facing? What threatens to capsize you, destroy you, take you down? Who do you call on for rescue? You of little faith, why are you so afraid when you can call on The One that calms and restores peace? Jesus is in your boat. He is peace and rests in the knowing that no storm is too big for Him to handle. Go to Him on your knees and cry out, Lord, save me...and He will.
"Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." Matthew 8:23-26. Notice the storm, how it came up without warning and was furious. Now picture a face, your face, marked with fury. Is this you when adversity and trouble come to you? What about fear, dread, despair? Imagine the faces of the disciples as wave upon crashing wave swept over the boat, soaking them, stinging their squinted eyes. They were afraid that this might be the end for them. Isn't this how it feels Dear Reader, when we have no control over outcomes? In a raging storm, we recognize that we are small and circumstances can seem so mighty that we could go down with the water laden ship. I call your attention once again to the disciples. They followed Jesus onto a boat and when trouble came, they woke a sleeping man, crying out for help. "Lord, SAVE US!" These words were yelled into the wind and noise of storm. In trouble, in adversity, we can panic and in desperation we shout someone please, save me, save me from this-I don't think I can survive.
"Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" They knew, didn't they Dear Reader, what manner of man this was? Why pray tell, did they wake Him and shout Lord, SAVE US! if they did not in their heart of hearts believe that He could and would? As for you, what are you facing? What threatens to capsize you, destroy you, take you down? Who do you call on for rescue? You of little faith, why are you so afraid when you can call on The One that calms and restores peace? Jesus is in your boat. He is peace and rests in the knowing that no storm is too big for Him to handle. Go to Him on your knees and cry out, Lord, save me...and He will.
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