Refresh Friday

Do you sometimes think that if you just “do all the right things” and obey all of God’s commands to the best of your Spirit-driven ability, everything will be stable and calm in your life? Christ’s disciples experienced storms in spite of following His commands and so will we.

³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. [Mark 4:35-37 ESV]

In this passage of scripture, the disciples were obeying His command, yet they encountered the fiercest of storms…. In their distress, they cried out for Christ’s assistance.

³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”  [Mark 4:38-39 ESV]

Christ may delay coming to us during our times of distress, but it is simply so our faith may be tested and strengthened. Gently rebuking His disciples, Christ asked,

⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” [Mark 4:40 ESV]

In effect, He was saying, “Why didn’t you face the storm victoriously and shout to the raging winds and rolling waves, ‘You cannot harm us, for Christ, the mighty Savior, is on board?”

Photo credit: wallpaperest.com

Of course is it much easier to trust God when the sun is shining than to trust Him when the storm is raging around us. Yet we will never know our level of genuine faith until it is tested in a fierce storm….

If you are ever to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Eph. 6:10), your strength will be born during a storm.

— L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert