At the rate the world is changing, with all the chaos, hatred, and violence, it’s hard to imagine how it can continue at this pace. A lot of us are confused, discouraged, and disillusioned. Life seems like one crisis after another, and we’re walking around with deep internal wounds from all that is happening. You may think to yourself, “what else can go wrong?” That’s a question that many are asking themselves, but the question that God would like us to ask is “what else can go right?” In Philippians 4:16, He gives us the strategy for escaping the woes of life. In this verse, He tells us, “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was on a boat with his disciples when suddenly there was a fierce storm, and the disciples were very afraid. Mark 4:37(NLT) says “A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water.” It is very important for us to know that while this storm was occurring, our Master Jesus was inside the boat sleeping. Verses 38-39 tells us, “The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!” 39 Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.”
The storm that the disciples faced is a good analogy for the storms of life. A tumultuous situation can occur in the blink of an eye, just like it did with the disciples. And like them, we might cry out to God, “Father, why did you let this happen?!!! Are you going to let this problem sink me?” They thought that Jesus Christ was oblivious to their suffering and they assumed the worst. This is what many of us do when things get dicey. We panic. Jesus Christ was asleep during the storm and this conveys the reality that there is never a problem or situation that can surpass his enormous and incomparable power to handle it. In the storms of life, our Lord and Savior tells us to ‘be still and remain calm’ because through our faith, we will witness his unconditional love. We will see the many ways in which he will use his power to help us during the most difficult seasons of our lives.
Some of the disciples were expert fishermen, they knew how to handle a boat and no doubt had experience with a little bit of turbulence. They had confidence in themselves in this area, but in life, things will happen to shake our self-confidence. Life constantly reminds us that it was not meant to be lived without God’s guidance and help. Isaiah 58:11(NLT) tells us, “The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”
The storms of life can cause us to question many things. They can invade and threaten our existences, but we must not lose faith in God. 1Corinthians 10:13(The Message) tells us, “13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.” Our Lord and Savior tells us to ‘be still and remain calm.” Romans 8:28 tells us that our Heavenly Father causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He never leaves or forsakes us. No matter what the conditions and circumstances look like, God will always provide us with an escape route. Things may look difficult in the beginning, but as you trust our Heavenly Father with all that you are, He’ll make a way for you to be victorious in the end.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
“Your Escape Route”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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