Luke 8:22-25 (The Message)One day he and his disciples got in a boat.
"Let's cross the lake," he said. And off they went.
It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize.
They woke Jesus: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"
Getting to his feet, he told the wind, "Silence!" and the waves, "Quiet down!"
They did it. The lake became smooth as glass.
Then he said to his disciples, "Why can't you trust me?"
They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, "Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!"
A wonderful member of SOTH signs her e-mails with a powerful quote:
That's a great way to walk through this life. But it doesn't come easily.
Often, that kind of faith-filled confidence is only possible after you've ridden out some pretty big storms.
Sometimes we're tempted to believe that following Jesus will be all about smooth sailing. Surely, those who follow him will never have to ride through swells and storms...right?
The good news of our faith is actually slightly different than that idea, and even more wonderful.
Christians will not be immunized against experiencing the storms of living in this world. But we can enter those storms with an entirely different strength and confidence.
Someone of power and prominence rides in our boat, right alongside us. He can stand tall, and when he speaks, even the biggest waves obey his voice.
Can we get sick? Yes.
Can we experience pain? Yes.
Will we experience our own mortality in this life? Yes.
Will we sometimes be misunderstood, and can there be times of anxiety and uncertainty? Yes.
Can anything ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ? No.
Can anything ever change our core identity as children of God? No.
Can any earthly experience really take away our joy, peace and confidence in God?
Ultimately, no. Absolutely not.
The best question of them all...the one that Jesus poses directly in this passage...
"Why can't you trust me?"
Ask yourself that question. Place it squarely before God and seek the answer. Within it lies the ability to tell the storm just how big your God really is.
Prayer: God our Father, creator of oceans, sustain of life, commander of the waves...we seek your face. We seek to know you more completely. We ask the question...why can't we trust you more? We pray that we might learn how to trust. And in that trust, that we might find peace, power and possibility.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.
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