Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Lessons learned only in Life's Storms

"Why are you so fearful?" Mark 4:40 NKJV

In the Gospel of Mark we read: "He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side'...And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, 'Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?' And they...said to one another, 'Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!'" (Mk 4:35-41 NKJV).

Here are two lessons we learn only in life's storms:

(1) We must trust what God has told us. When Jesus said, "Let us cross over to the other side" there wasn't a big enough wave to take them under, no matter how threatening. What has God promised us? Standing on that won't keep us from getting scared or soaked, but it'll keep us from sinking.

(2) We must remind ourselves who's in the boat with us. If the Lord can calm a storm, He can prevent one. So when He permits us to go through storms it's to show us that we don't have a problem He can't solve; that we may be powerless in the situation but He's not; and that through this experience we'll come to know Him in a way we have never known Him before. So learn these lessons well and come out stronger on the other side.

If you are someone who remembers things by writing them down, put this in a place that can be seen and then immediately remembered. "Why are you so fearful? God is in Charge!!!!

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