Thursday, December 11, 2008

Bad weather day...

If you woke up at all today, at least in our area, you couldn't escape the bad weather outside. Melanie called me while I was driving to work to let me know that some of the larger limbs on the trees in our backyard were snapping off. It was definitely a bad weather day.

As I was sitting at a stop light, wondering if I was going to hear the tornado sirens, I began to think of the story of Jesus when He calmed the storm.

Here's a link to the text in Luke's gospel: Luke 8:22-25

Three things jumped out at me as I read this story.

1. It was Jesus' idea to cross the lake

Jesus Himself was the catalyst for the trip into the storm. This wasn't some hap-hazard, ill-planned, or sinful choice that the disciples made that led them into the storm. This was the leading of the Savior. That tells me that not every storm is a punishment or judgment from the Father. Some are just storms, while others are purposed and planned for me to go through by my Savior.

2. Jesus is napping.

I love this part. There's a fierce storm on the lake, the disciples, at least four of whom were experienced career fisherman, are freaking out, and Jesus is taking a nap! I love it. Now, some people might interpret this differently, but what I see is that the storm didn't bother Jesus. All to often, I think, we find ourselves caught up in these various storms of life and we start freaking out and then we go to The Father in prayer, and we tell God about the storm. Did God really not know the storm was coming? Did it catch Him off-guard? There's nothing in our past, present, or future that God hasn't already seen.

3. Jesus only asks about their faith.

After they wake Jesus, and He calms the storm, the only question He asks is about their faith. This is it! This is where Jesus puts the whole event into context for us. It was Jesus that led them into the storm... (That's a whole 'nother post for a whole 'nother day) It was Jesus who then calmed the storm... and now it's Jesus using the storm for His purpose. He used the whole incident as a private faith lesson for His select 12 apostles.

Storms come, and storms go, but it's not until they're put into context that we will know why we went through them.

- Just a thought.

3 comments:

Crystal said...

I read this one too, Bill! Does this count as part of your group ministry? Seriously, though, I've never heard a minister preach specifically that it was Christ's idea to go into the storm, etc -- and don't know why I've never really thought about it. Anyway, it IS pretty funny when you think about it. And somehow quite encouraging. In an ironic way . . .

Bill said...

I don't know what you mean by 'group ministry' but I think it's part of my ministry if nothing else. And I have to be honest, it wasn't the first time that I read this story that I saw that it was Jesus' idea. That's part of why I like to read and listen to the bible. You catch way more when you take it in through different mediums.

wendalyn said...

Ok so I've never looked at this story this way. When I look back at the storms I went throught over the last 3 years I realize that even in the mist of my storms I new that there was a immovable force that I could reach out and grab hold of and it would seem that the minute that I did things would quiet down. And Its only by looking back that I can see the purpose of the storms. For me its always been about Faith. For me I am constantly learning how strong my faith is.