The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." (John 6:18-20 NRSV)
We just made it though a time of severe weather here in Kansas City. I have been out here for almost 5 years and this is probably the closest we have been to an actual tornado touching down in the city. In light of the unfortunate tragedy in Joplin last week, today's tornado warning was looked upon with a different level of concern. We took all the precautions while the storm approached, but after we take those precautions, it's really out of our hands because it's in God's hands. Now I'm not trying to make light of severe weather, or act like I have not had any concerns regarding severe weather. But I guess I'm using this analogy to reflect on life. In life for the believer, we should take all the precautions and prepare ourselves spiritually for the storms of life. These precautions begin with a relationship with Christ, and a life that strives to please Him. We worship; we pray; we study; we live obedient lives; we fast; we do all these things. But the precautions never prevent the storms from arriving - storms still come. And when the storms are upon us, there's really nothing we can do because we've done everything we can. So there's nothing left to do but ride it out, because it's in God's hand.
Every day, we should take precautions in life, but when the storms of life rage, remember what Jesus says to the disciples when going through a storm - "It is I; do not be afraid." My wife tells the story of her nanny, when they experienced the storms when they lived in New Mexico. She said her nanny use to say, "Be still (or be quiet) - God is riding."
As I sit here now, looking out the window as I'm writing this, the storm has passed; the clouds are parted somewhat, the warm breeze is lightly blowing the trees and the birds are singing. For those of us, going through a storm, or getting ready to go through one - have you done what you should be doing with your relationship with Christ? If so, "be still - God is riding" - this storm will pass as well!
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the storms of life because they help us to realize that you are in control of not only our lives, but also the storms that affect our lives. We thank you for not allowing this actual storm to cause any damage, but we also thank you for not allowing the spiritual storms we face in life to cause any damage as well. We give you the praise, because you are worthy. You are Alpha and Omega, we worship you our God, you are worthy to be praised! We ask for nothing today, but we just thank you! In Jesus name, Amen.
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