Do you ever feel like you take two steps forward and one step back? Getting ahead just seems to be a daunting task and you’re not sure what to do. When you feel like nothing you’re doing is helping your situation, try following the disciples lead.
In Matthew 8:23-27 we read about Jesus and His disciples being caught in a storm. They were in a boat sailing across the sea when a storm suddenly came up. The disciples were right where Jesus told them to be, yet a storm came. Don’t miss that! Many times we believe as long as we do what Jesus tells us, we won’t encounter problems or difficulty and that simply is not true. He told us in John 16:33b “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
In the midst of the storm, Jesus was with them. When we face difficulty, our first question seems to always be “Where is God?” Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” God wouldn’t have said “do not be afraid” unless there was something about our circumstances that could cause us to be afraid. Times may look difficult or even impossible, but “nothing is impossible with God” [Luke 1:37].
Matthew 19:26 tells us “With God all things are possible.” Matthew 8:23-27 tells us Jesus was with the disciples and He is with us also [Joshua 1:5]. When we face difficulty, our response needs to be like that of the disciples [Matthew 8:25]. We need to run to Jesus because only He can calm our storms [vs. 27].
Sometimes Jesus will calm the storm [vs. 26]. Sometimes Jesus will allow the storm to rage on and He will calm the child [Luke 24:36]. Either way, the peace of Jesus Christ, which surpasses all understanding, is available to you in any and every situation [Philippians 4:7]. No matter what you’re facing today, allow God to speak into your situation and you will be at peace. You can’t change things, but He’s there and He can, so allow Him to handle it.