I’ve read the story of Jesus calming the storm many times.

It’s one of my
favorites.

But as I read it today, something stood out to me that I hadn’t noticed before.

Jesus and his disciples aren’t just coincidentally in a boat when the storm hits.

It was actually Jesus’ idea to get in the boat and go on the water.. knowing full
well a storm would come.

Interesting, isn’t it?

The disciples were actually being obedient by going. They said “yes” to Jesus’
idea, and that brought them into the middle of a storm.

We live in a world where we try to avoid pain at all costs. We will take the long
route if it means avoiding suffering.

In fact, we will do all kinds of things to avoid suffering.

We hate storms.

Yet, sometimes Jesus calls us to go into them.

Sometimes He calls us to get out of a relationship we don’t want to leave.

Sometimes He calls us to up and move our life even though it’s comfortable.

Sometimes He calls us to do the right thing even though it impacts our image or
makes other people think less of us.

Sometimes He simply will allow struggles to come in to our life.

Not because He likes us to suffer. He doesn’t. He doesn’t like to see us in pain.

Jesus does not strike us with storms because He is a punishing God.

But this is a broken world where storms will come and sometimes He lets them hit
hard.

The truth is, there are times we won’t grow or understand what true dependence on
the Lord looks and feels like unless we go through a storm with Him.

It’s in the storm that we realize we cannot prevent pain from coming, nor do we
have control over it all.

The storms remind us that we are not all-powerful.

But the thing we often forget is that Jesus is actually in the storm with us.

He didn’t leave the disciples, and then come back just to calm the storm.

No, He went through the whole storm with them.

You might find yourself in a storm right now, or know that you need to walk through
one.

I know you are hesitant and would do anything to avoid it.

But remember, Jesus wasn’t scared of the storm when it came.

He’s not scared or unsure of your storm either.

He sits with you in the boat, and He knows when the storm will pass.

But friend, you just watch what He does in your heart if you are obedient to Him
even though the wind and waves are scary.

No pain we go through comes back void if we invite Jesus into the process.

When the storm passes, you will be a different person than the one who entered it.

And you will know the heart of God more intimately.