"Even
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for
You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm
23:4).
Hey Gang: When it comes to
storms, we all have a common denominator and can say, been there and walked
knee deep through a swamp filled with alligators. I believe we could all agree that storms are
as much a part of our lives as breathing.
Whether we like it or not, we will experience storms, not necessarily on
sea or in the wilderness- but in everyday life.
In Matthew 14:22-27 the disciples found themselves on a very dark night
in the middle of the Sea of Galilee in the midst, of a raging storm. The Sea of Galilee, which lies between two
mountains, has a reputation as being very unpredictable and can go from calm to
violent within the 'blink of an eye'.
The disciples were seasoned veterans of the sea and knew the potential
violence of the Sea. What were they
doing in the middle of the sea at the fourth hour? Matthew was there, and the experience
certainly made an impression on him. Why?
Because "Jesus, their Rabbi had ordered them to "get in the boat".
Do you think they were in a panic?
Sometimes sails and oars are of no use.
We just have to throw our human devices and human strength to the wind
and put our trust in the Lord.
Have you ever seen a miracle in the midst of the storm? Many years ago, we had a garbage dump where
we buried the refuge from the Village. One day the sun’s rays hit a piece of
glass just right and a fire resulted.
First the fire burned in the hole and then worked its way out of the
hole and began to creep up the hill toward the woods and two of our residential
units.
We grabbed what we could find and tried to beat the flames out, but our
efforts were no match for the power of the wind and the fire edged ever closer
to the woods and houses. Suddenly the
fire jumped, and I found myself surrounded by flames. In fear and terror, I
dropped the rake, raised my arms to the heavens and yelled, "Lord, stop
the wind!"
Not only did God stop the wind, He reversed the path of the fire and it
burned its way back down the hill and into the pit! By the time the fire
department arrived the fire was out, cold out, no smoke!
So, my buckaroos and gals, take it from this old salt: there are going
to be times when your strength and might will be no match for the storm that
you are experiencing. But also keep in
mind that Jesus was on the mountain praying for His disciples and came to the
disciples at the darkest hour.
His first words to them, "Do not be afraid".
Do you feel like you are in the midst of
the fire? Notice, in Matthew 14:33 the purpose of
this training exercise for the disciples:
"And those who were in the boat cried out "You are certainly the Son
of God".
Blessings,
Gramps
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