Visions In The Storms

Visions in the Storms

Read: John 6:16-21

“It is I; don’t be afraid.”

John 6:20

“Jesus came treading the waves; and so He puts all the swelling tumults of life under His feet. Christians—why afraid?”

—St. Augustine

IN WORD Sometimes terrifying circumstances come into our lives. And we, who fear the unknown, don’t like the unexpected visions they bring. The disciples were terrified when, in the middle of a storm in the dark of night, a figure walking on the rough water approached their boat. They had never before encountered this, of course. Was it a ghost? Did it mean them harm? What are fishermen to do when out of the windblown waters comes a mysterious apparition?

Jesus allowed for the disciples’ momentary panic, but He did not leave them in the dark, literally or figuratively. His identity was quickly revealed. “It is I; don’t be afraid.” His presence is the antidote to terror. Jesus calms storms, whether those storms rage outside the boat or inside our hearts. One way or another, He brings peace if we will only hear His words: “It is I.”

Life is full of circumstances that are terrifying at first glance and can consume us with worries about the future. Financial crises, health crises, spiritual dilemmas, emotional needs, and any other vision that threatens us in a storm cause us much stress. But here is the lesson learned by the disciples: What initially made them panic was the very Person who brought them growth, faith, rest, and guidance.

IN DEED Our crises can do the same. Though our initial reaction may be panic, in reality Jesus may be coming to us with a crisis that heals, strengthens, encourages, or guides. To us, they are threatening. To God, they are often the very means to develop us as His disciples. They may bear eternal fruit that our terrified eyes cannot at first see.

Will we, like the disciples, take Jesus “into the boat” (v. 21)? When they did, John reports, they immediately reached the shore. Their panic—like ours most often is—had been unfounded. Jesus brings them, and us, safely to solid ground.