Jesus: The Powerful
“In life, sudden storms appear out of nowhere. At least with most weather systems we have a little warning that a storm is coming, but in life, like on the sea of Galilee, storms come without any warning at all.” – Tony Walliser
Read Luke 8:22-25
Jesus: The Powerful
You might be familiar with the words of the famous tune from the George Gershwin opera, “Porgy and Bess”: “Summertime, when the livin’ is easy.” Those are wonderful words, aren’t they? Enjoying life when the livin’ is easy, like sitting in a boat drifting gently in the current. Unfortunately, much of life doesn’t fit that description.
Rather than riding a gentle current, we experience times when it seems we’re surrounded by a raging storm. It could involve losing a job unexpectedly. Or having a routine medical exam lead to a grim diagnosis. Or thinking you’ve finally gotten your bills under control when a sudden crisis sends you into a financial tailspin. If there’s anything predictable about everyday life, it’s that it’s unpredictable.
How do we respond when things like that happen? We can become angry; start doubting God and His faithfulness; fall into despair, or employ some escape mechanism, seeking to flee from the pain. Or we can turn to Jesus and cling to Him more strongly than ever.
This doesn’t mean following Christ necessarily makes things easier. Because storms come even to those who are devoted to Him. Just ask Jesus’ disciples, who in the passage above found themselves thrown about in a boat on the stormy sea of Galilee. Later they faced opposition while they were with Jesus, and their persecutions only increased after He ascended into Heaven.
The same is true of the great people of God who have faithfully served Him through the centuries. Someone invented the idea that the more we serve the less we will suffer, but the Bible doesn’t teach that. In fact, it’s just the opposite. In Romans 5:3 the apostle Paul says we should, “…rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
Another apostle, James, said much the same thing: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).
Doesn’t sound very encouraging? Well, there’s good news: The God who “causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), promises to be right there with us in the midst of our storms, whatever they may be.
He can indeed use them, even the most overwhelming challenges, for our ultimate good and His eternal purposes. They help us realize that no matter how self-sufficient we might feel, we’re not in control. When we come to the end of our own resources, we discover how desperately we need the Lord.
Storms in life can strengthen our faith as we see God working to bring about outcomes greater than anything we could ever have imagined. Like our physical muscles, faith is strengthened most when it’s exercised. In many places the Bible exhorts us to “fear not,” but often we fear too much. Because we trust in God too little. Strengthening our faith enables us to trust more and fear less.
Going through life’s storms also helps us discover how powerful Jesus really is, able to take on the most overwhelming challenges. We never see the Lord wringing His hands in the Bible, wondering “What am I going to do now?” He knows the solution before the problem even arises. So, when adversities and hardships come – and they will come – knowing Jesus is all-powerful can help us to turn to Him as our first response, not our last resort.