Storms of Life

In the midst of the storm, Jesus is sleeping. When he is awoken by the disciples he asks, "Why are you fearful?"

Sometimes in the midst of trouble people ask, "Where is God?" There is talk of a Dark Night of the Soul. People question whether God is always alert to their troubles. Has He left me? Has God fallen asleep? Does God not care?

Yet, in Matthew 8, we have the disciples in a boat, in the midst of a storm, afraid! And Jesus, although sleeping, is with them. "O you of little faith" he comments.

What if God is sleeping during the midst of our trials? What if God does not seem fully alert to what is taking place? What does it mean for God to be present, even if He is not present in the ways that we desire?

The disciples were safe, because God was with them, even though He, in the presence of His Son, was asleep.

In the midst of our trials and tribulations, the storms that make life seem difficult, God is with us - Immanuel! He has not forgotten us nor has he forsaken us. God remains faithful, even when we are faithless. Just think about that. Jesus was asleep. He seemed unaware of the storm. Yet the disciples were completely safe - for God was with them.

Is God with you today? If you doubt His presence, seek His face. Be as the disciples, cry out "Help my unbelief!"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

They touched Jesus, but then, how did they pray?

I'm sitting in my room praying and thinking, "After the resurrection did the disciples pray to Jesus?" Just imagine this with me for a moment. You have spent the past 2 - 3 years of your life following this intriguing man around, your feet are calloused, your memory is overflowing with moments around the campfire or dinner table, and you've been challenged to completely shift your Jewish worldview. And then he is gone. Just as quick as he came, just as brief as the moment he walked the shoreline past your fishing boat and called out to you, he is gone. And you are left knowing you've met an incredible man who was more than a man -- a man who was somehow divine. Now there is no one around you analyzing deep fulfilled Christological theological concepts, but there are plenty of Greek voices and new philosophical ways of contemplating life's happenings, there are Jewish commentaries, and there are the conversations that have happened along the roadside. An...
Read more

Palm Sunday School Lesson for Teenagers

Scripture: Luke 22:17-20 Topic: When Jesus ate with his Disciples Background: This lesson would be taught during a Sunday morning breakfast club for teenagers. Once a month the youth meet to cook breakfast and then we try to relate the lesson to food. Last time the Middle School breakfast club met a middle school student led his peers in a devotional that went through the various stories of Jesus sharing food with his disciples. This Sunday we are going to focus on one of those stories and how it relates to Easter. Opening: 1. Ask, “Have you ever helped plan a party?” a. Ask the students to share about the various things they did to prepare (send invites, decorate, blow up balloons, set the table, plan games, order food). 2. Say, “For some families, Easter is a time of celebration, a party of sorts.” a. Ask, “What does your family do to celebrate Easter?” (family gets together, we eat dinner together, Easter egg hunt, attend church se...
Read more

Sabbath

Genesis 2:2-4 (The Message) 2-4 By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created. If God the greatest worker rested, why don't we?
Read more