Storms of Life
Chaos!
24/02/11
Ever felt like this poor chap?
“Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me...” Read More...
“Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?
I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me...” Read More...
Storms of life
05/06/10
Chapel Porth, Cornwall
A May Bank holiday in idyllic Cornwall should be sunshine, crashing waves on the shore, warm sand beneath bare feet, bird song and cream teas. Instead as I sit in my caravan being buffeted by the wind as it hurls salt laden air against the window I wonder whether I have fallen asleep Rip van Winkle style and woken up in November! This was NOT the holiday I had signed up to.
Everything is not always what we want or appreciate but it occurs to me that this is what life so often throws our way. There are the bumpy roads and deluges of troubles. How I choose to deal with it will affect not only my own life but often the lives of those around me. In the Gospel of Mark 4:35-39, we find an interesting story in which Jesus invited the disciples, some of whom were seasoned fishermen, to join Him on a little boat trip across the Sea of Galilee. However, on the way over, we are told, they encountered a large storm – so large that the boat threatens to sink. Now the question would arise, “Did Jesus know that a storm was coming?” The answer is yes.
According to Mark the waves were breaking over the boat and filling it with water. The disciples were very afraid, but they didn't have to be.
The point is Jesus had made a very important statement at the beginning of their journey that they apparently had forgotten about: “Let us go to the other side.” And when God says, “Let us go to the other side,” it means you will get to the other side. Nowhere does Jesus say it would be smooth sailing. He didn't even say it would be an easy trip. But He did say, “Let us go to the other side.”
Just as disciples met the storm in the sea, we also face many storms in our lives. Storms such as sickness, the death of a loved one, the pain of broken relationships or just the reality of unemployment. Very often we have to face small or big storms in life which can either drown us or strengthen us. I have found in my own life that whenever I have been faced with the so-called big storms that I usually become so paralyzed by fear that I, at times, cease to think logically and very often even forget God's Word and His promises. That is exactly what happened to the disciples. But Mark reminds us that Jesus was on board with them all the time, and He was there to see them through.
A May Bank holiday in idyllic Cornwall should be sunshine, crashing waves on the shore, warm sand beneath bare feet, bird song and cream teas. Instead as I sit in my caravan being buffeted by the wind as it hurls salt laden air against the window I wonder whether I have fallen asleep Rip van Winkle style and woken up in November! This was NOT the holiday I had signed up to.
Everything is not always what we want or appreciate but it occurs to me that this is what life so often throws our way. There are the bumpy roads and deluges of troubles. How I choose to deal with it will affect not only my own life but often the lives of those around me. In the Gospel of Mark 4:35-39, we find an interesting story in which Jesus invited the disciples, some of whom were seasoned fishermen, to join Him on a little boat trip across the Sea of Galilee. However, on the way over, we are told, they encountered a large storm – so large that the boat threatens to sink. Now the question would arise, “Did Jesus know that a storm was coming?” The answer is yes.According to Mark the waves were breaking over the boat and filling it with water. The disciples were very afraid, but they didn't have to be.
The point is Jesus had made a very important statement at the beginning of their journey that they apparently had forgotten about: “Let us go to the other side.” And when God says, “Let us go to the other side,” it means you will get to the other side. Nowhere does Jesus say it would be smooth sailing. He didn't even say it would be an easy trip. But He did say, “Let us go to the other side.”
Just as disciples met the storm in the sea, we also face many storms in our lives. Storms such as sickness, the death of a loved one, the pain of broken relationships or just the reality of unemployment. Very often we have to face small or big storms in life which can either drown us or strengthen us. I have found in my own life that whenever I have been faced with the so-called big storms that I usually become so paralyzed by fear that I, at times, cease to think logically and very often even forget God's Word and His promises. That is exactly what happened to the disciples. But Mark reminds us that Jesus was on board with them all the time, and He was there to see them through.