As I walked around work this morning, I noticed something about the lake that I haven't seen in a while. It was still. No waves, no ripples. Just a sheet of glass-like surface reflecting the treeline and clouds. It was such a beautiful, peaceful moment.
And as I stood there, I was reminded that just a few hours prior, it had been storming heavily. I don't know many things about lakes or thunderstorms, but I do know that when the two are mixed, the surface of the lake will be anything but smooth. As the wind howls and the rain pours, the waves can only build.
This brought to mind a passage of Scripture that I'm sure you have connected already. I love to read the story of Jesus and his disciples as they crossed the Sea of Galilee (Luke 8:22-25). If you aren't familiar with the story, basically Jesus and his disciples are crossing the water, and a big storm breaks out. While the disciples are freaking out, they discover that Jesus is actually sleeping through the storm! Now, I'm a heavy sleeper, but I don't think I'd be able to sleep through a massive storm while in a boat on a small body of water. I would probably be that guy draped over the side of the boat losing my dinner. But anyway, so the disciples are freaking out; so much so that they wake Jesus and say, "Master, Master we are perishing!" (v.24) This storm was so bad that they were literally afraid for their lives. Jesus then gets up and rebukes the storm...and it stops! Just by the words from his mouth, Jesus makes the storm cease. What an amazing display of the power of Christ.
I believe that this passage of Scripture holds such an amazing thing for us to rest in as believers. John 16:33 promises that we will have tribulation. There are going to be times in our lives when we will struggle. When it will be hard to see how God is working things together for His glory and our good. When it will be hard to accept the hardships of life. There will even be times when it will be hard for us to feel like we are intimate with our Savior.
But, not only does John 16:33 promise that we will face struggles during the course of our lives; it also gives another promise. The latter part of the verse says, "But take heart, I have overcome the world." Praise the Lord! How awesome is it to know that our struggles, although very real and hard, will never out-last our Savior's power!
The storms of this life will come for each of us. My storms will most likely be different than yours. Maybe we will share some. Maybe I will be given the opportunity to walk with you through one of your storms, and maybe you'll be given the same opportunity for me. I hope that you will rest in the fact that there is always a peace after the storm. No matter how long it is, or how terrible it wrecks us, His peace will be sufficient to overcome the wind and the rain. His grace is more powerful than the thunder and lightning. In the midst of a storm, it is my prayer that you and I will run to our Savior and desperately yell, "Master, Master, I am perishing!" Because then we can see His power to rebuke the storm and bring about the calm across the waters.
