In The Storm

In the Storm

As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” Luke 8:23-24

In spite of our position as God’s beloved people and heirs, sometimes our spiritual eyesight becomes clouded by the storms of life or difficult circumstances. Maybe like me—and the disciples on the stormy sea—at times you find yourself so overwhelmed with the trials and tumultuous waves that threaten to capsize you that you cannot see the Lord—who is right there with you, who promises never to leave you or forsake you, who is ahead of you, behind you, and within you.

Panicked and terrified by strong winds of adversity, Jesus’ friends thought they might drown. And so do we. I love what Anne Graham Lotz said about this tenuous state of mind: “When we are faced with great problems, our tendency is to focus on the hands of God, what he has not done for us and what we want him to do for us, instead of focusing on the face of God, simply who he is. Our depression can deepen through this kind of self-preoccupation. Often, in the midst of great problems, we stop short of the real blessing God has for us, which is a fresh vision of who he is.”

We can attend church regularly and miss seeing Jesus. We can have extensive theological knowledge and lose sight of the Savior. And in troubled times, we may lose the sense of his power. But seeing and encountering Jesus isn’t just something we “want,” like sprinkles on a cake’s icing; it’s something we need, an ingredient vital to a sustained life of faith. This week we will discover what happens when people have the eyes of their hearts renewed and gain a new vision of the King.

—CHERI

Lord, you said if we look for you in earnest, we will find you. Wash my eyes so that I can see your glory and grace. In the midst of my mundane or chaotic life, I trust you to reveal yourself to me.

One glimpse of the King and you are consumed by a desire to see more of him and say more about him. —MAX LUCADO, AUTHOR AND MINISTER