We were several thousand feet above the Canadian North. Below us, rugged and majestic, trees, rocks and lakes stretched for miles. A minute before I had been able to see it all. Now, I was surrounded by white fog on every side. To make things worse, the small plane now pitched and tossed in the air. What started as a calm flight in clear skies had in a matter of a few seconds devolved into a bucking, lurching, white-knuckled jaunt through Northern skies. Our pilot was seasoned. Crop-dusting and bi-weekly flights to Hong Kong had made him cool behind the yoke. However even his eyes showed signs of concern. His hands clutched the controls, his eyes rested intently on the instrument panel.
Life has many storms. They take different forms and come in different places. One day the storm may be as trivial as misplacing a phone or a set of keys and being late to work as a result. On another day it may be as serious as losing a loved one to death by cancer. It could come in the form of an abrupt sickness, a chronic illnesses, rejection, abuse, false accusation, a failed test, a job loss . It could come in the form of a natural disaster, a hurricane, or a global pandemic that brings normal life to a screeching halt. Whatever the form, all of us will experience storms throughout the course of our lives. The question is not “if” but “when” and, how will we react in those times.
In Matthew 14 we see an example of a bad reaction in a storm. Impulsively Peter cries out: “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” He takes a step upon the frothing water. Then suddenly, he feels the wind buffeting and sees the waves tossing. His eyes turn from Jesus and onto the circumstances. He begins to sink. “Lord! Save me!” Jesus reaches out saying, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” So often with Peter we see the winds and waves boisterous and trust what we see rather than who we know.
In these difficult times, we all have a choice to make. Either we can look to Jesus, and stand on the stability of His word, or we can with Peter to look to the storm and sink into unbelief in the unstable circumstances. The choice is up to us.
In the light of the inevitability of a storm. Here are a few stabilizing truths to remember when you are tossed in a storm on the sea of life.
Remember that God loves you. (Romans 8:39)
Remember that God loves you! In Romans 8 Paul asks: What can separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing. There is literally nothing that can separate us from the Love of God. Even in the darkest, most painful storm, the love of Christ remains constant and stable. He will never leave you. He will never forsake you. You can be confident that he is feeling your suffering, even as you are in the midst of it.
Remember that God is in control. (Job 1:12)
Remember that God is in control of your circumstances. When Satan attacked Job he first had to get permission from the Lord. It was only when God approved the attack that Satan could move against Job. Likewise everything that happens in our lives first pass though God’s approval. God is ultimately good and has our best interests at heart. If we love God, all things, even the bad things will work together for good in our lives. (Romans 8:28)
Remember that God is listening. (1 Peter 5:7)
Remember that God is listening. God tells us to cast all of our care upon him. This means we are to bring everything to him that fills us with concern. Because he is in control he is able, and willing to change the world in response to our prayers. When we pray with a pure heart, we can be confident that our prayers are being heard. When we ask for things according to his will, He will answer! He will change the world. This is a promise! Pray, expecting that the Lord will answer!
Remember that God is refining you. (Romans 5: 3-5)
Remember that God is refining you. God uses the hard things in our lives to perfect us. Romans 5 calls these hard times tribulations. When we react with faith in tribulations, God develops patience in our hearts. Patience in this context means sustained faith. When we have this sustained faith, we gain experience. James tells us in these hard times to “Let patience have her perfect work.”Our faith becomes perfected when we experience God’s faithfulness in the storm. This leads us to hope in God without shame in the future because we see that God keeps his promises!
After circling, we caught sight of the airstrip a few miles from the camp by the lake. Although the plane lurched and bounced in our decent, we found ourselves safe on the ground. The instrument panel had led us safely to our destination.
The truths of the word of God are a lot like that instrument panel in that plane several summers ago. Although the circumstances change, truth is constant and certain. The word of God tells us where we are, where we need to be, and how we need to get there. When the storm rages outside we can be confident that our instrument panel is fine tuned to perfection and will always provide the correct reading even in the worst storm. Whatever happens we can be confident that our Lord will expertly guide us through every storm of life.
Will Esayenko is an evangelist from Alberta, Canada. He was trained at Baptist College of Ministry in Menomonee Falls, WI. He traveled twice with Bobby Bosler as a team captain doing youth evangelistic work during his college years. It is his goal to see a new church planting movement established in Western Canada.
