Your Daily Devotional for June 23, 2006

 

June 23, 2006

The Purpose of the Storm

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”

Luke 8:22-25

 

When I was growing up, my grandfather loved to tell me his fishing stories. He once told me about a fishing trip he took in the Gulf of Mexico. While they were fishing for yellow tail in their small, 24 foot boat, a storm came. The waves rose, the rain pelted down, and the little boat bobbed around like a cork in the ocean. After several minutes passed, my grandfather finally went to the captain, from whom they had chartered the boat, and asked if he had ever been in such a storm. The man replied, “Yes, but in a much bigger boat.”

 

As we see in our text, the disciples were in quite a storm of their own, but they would soon learn that it doesn’t matter what size the boat is: if Jesus is on board, you have nothing to fear. In verse 25, we see the beginning of this lesson: as soon as the wind and the waves ceased, Jesus turned to his disciples and asked, “Where is your faith?”

 

The Lord has a purpose for allowing every trial to come to pass, and He uses this storm as a test of the disciples’ faith. As the contents of a tea bag are revealed when it’s placed in hot water, what is inside a Christian is revealed when he is placed in a fiery trial. It is during the difficult hour, that we find where our faith truly is.

 

As Jesus lay asleep in the boat, we see that He was 100% man. Jesus got tired just as we do! When He calmed the storm by His spoken word, we see that He was 100% God. He had power over even the winds and the waves. The Bible says of Him in Colossians 1:15-17, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: or by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

 

Like the disciples, when we have trials in our lives and the storms rage, tossing us to and fro, we can learn the awesome power of God expressed in Psalm 89:8: “O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? Or to thy faithfulness round about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.”

 

The Lord is the creator of the universe and has power to calm any storm; He is able to bring peace, not only to the sea, but in the heart of those who trust Him. I heard a Vietnam veteran say at a memorial service, “The last battle ended decades ago, but if the end of a war is peace, we’re still waiting for it.” If it is peace you are seeking, you don’t have to wait for it. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

Peace with God through Christ: that is the greatest lesson the disciples learned that day on the Sea of Galilee. Have you discovered the purpose of the storm? Have you found peace in your heart through faith in Christ? Give your struggles to Him, trust Him to guide you, and experience His refreshing peace today!

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