'Til the Storm Passes

by Guest Author, Celli Bryan

As a child, I was dreadfully fearful of storms. I remember one night in particular when I was around eight or nine years old. I was awakened in the middle of the night by a violent clap of thunder. Before I was completely awake, I was halfway to my parents’ bedroom.

I dove right between them and buried myself under the covers. Every time the thunder sounded, I jerked. I have a vivid memory of the conversation that took place that night while sandwiched between my parents. My dad tried to comfort me by explaining that if I heard the thunder, I had survived the lightening. It was not the thunder that could hurt me, it was the lightening.

Life’s storms strike fear in our hearts in the same way. A dreaded diagnosis, financial hardships, loss of a job, illness, the death of a loved one, threat of divorce, accidents, and natural disasters are just a few of the storms that take place in our world.

What are we to do when these storms begin to brew and ominous clouds hang low?

We are to remember the One who created the storm. As children of God, we must TRUST that our Heavenly Father is in control of everything in our lives. More than merely allowing bad things, He ordains them in our lives because it is all part of His wonderful plan to transform His children into people He can use.

Luke 8:22 & 23 reads, “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.”

Why are the disciples crossing the lake?

Because Jesus said “Let us go over unto the other side.” They FOLLOWED JESUS right into the storm. It obviously was not storming when they launched. The disciples didn’t know about the storm. Jesus, the God-man, knew all about the storm, yet He led them right into it.

We try to avoid all storms in our lives because they put us in jeopardy, but lessons are to be learned in the storm. Christ led them into the storm, and He was with them the entire time.

He NEVER abandons ship.

Another wonderful thing from this passage that encouraged me was looking at exactly what Jesus was saying to His disciples when He told them, “Let us go over unto the other side of the lake.”

He did not say, “Let us go into the lake and drown in the sea.” He wanted to cross to the other side. He is going to TAKE US TO THE OTHER SIDE!

He is not going to allow the storm to destroy us!

What did the disciples say when Jesus calmed the storm in Luke 8:25? “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

You see, they didn’t know the power of God until they went through the storm. He had to cross over the lake because He wanted to set a man free from demon possession. Can you just imagine what His disciples must’ve thought when they witnessed this exorcism?

I don’t know about you, but I want to see evidence of the power of God working in people’s lives, delivering them from the power of darkness and bringing them into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Do we truly want to see God’s power in our lives?

Do we want to see it bad enough to suffer with Christ? Tough question.

I wonder if the disciples would have known a violent storm was going to brew while out on the lake, would they all have gone or would some of them have chosen to stay behind?

Christ took them into the storm to show them His power OVER the storm and to increase their faith in Him to take them safely through. I want to be in the boat with Jesus!

When you find yourself in one of life’s storms, I encourage you as a follower of Christ, remember that you are there by the sovereign hand of Almighty God.

You are in the storm because He placed you there, and since He is God, will you trust Him?

How long will you be in the storm? You will be there until He takes you out. He has a plan for His children and every storm is part of that plan.

We may not see nor understand what He is doing, but we must TRUST HIM. Let us praise Him because He is God. Let’s stop trying to get out of the situation, and REST IN HIM.

Instead of wrestling and trying to get God to wake up and do something about the fierce storm, let’s choose to nestle up next to Jesus and rest with Him until the storm passes.

Guest Author, Celli Bryan

Celli loves Christ, her family, and her church. She has two grown children, and a wonderful husband. They would all say that she

is passionate about giving hope to the lost and encouragement to other believers. I know she has blessed me first hand in this.

Celli has taught elementary school for 18 years, and is currently working on a Master's degree. She has published one book,"Speaking to Yourselves in Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs."