“Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was [o](S)contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’“ – Matthew 14:22-27
One thing in life is a pretty sure bet. If you haven’t been in a really difficult situation, or you’re not currently in one, then there is probably one waiting for you right around the corner!
When crisis hits, your first urge may be to scream, “What did I do to deserve this punishment?” “Why me?” While it’s true that some storms of life are caused by our own sin, many occur even when we’re not doing anything wrong. In fact, we are often right in the middle of God’s will and doing exactly what He asked us to do!
That was the case for the disciples when Jesus told them to get in a boat and row across the Sea of Galilee. Even though they were obeying Jesus, they still found themselves in a storm that was so violent they didn’t know if they would even survive. But here is the important message from that event – they did survive. With the help of Jesus, they did survive.
Accept the fact that life is not a perfectly smooth ride. The road will sometimes have bumps and potholes and sharp turns. All roads do. Look upon these tragedies and difficulties as a part of life. Turn to Jesus for guidance. Trust in His Word and His promises. He will be beside you as you get through the tragedies, as well as the triumphs, in your life.
