Our Storm
What are you focused on? What is the priority in your life? Where do you look for guidance? Are you easily distracted? If you have been, have you missed out on doing something of importance?
One of the passages in the New Testament records Jesus sending His disciples ahead of Him. They would get into a boat and begin rowing to the next place they would go. They had just fed 5,000 people, not counting women and children, and taken up baskets of food. Jesus sent the crowds away and went upon the mountain to pray. But on the way across the water, something happened that changed their direction. A storm blew in, and they were having trouble rowing the boat.
The fourth watch of the night (between 3 and 6 am), Jesus came walking on the water. The disciples were terrified when they saw Him and thought it was a ghost. He reassured them that it was Him. At this, Peter asked if he could walk on the water to Jesus. He told Peter to come. And he began walking on water! What an amazing thing to happen. Peter, a fisherman who had spent his life on the sea, had never done this before. But he was walking toward the Master.
But then, Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. He saw the waves, and he began to sink. He called for Jesus to save him, and He put out his hand to Peter and saved him. He then got into the boat, and the wind was calm. (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52)
Peter had been focused on Jesus. His priority was to walk to Him. But looking at the waves, he was distracted from going all the way to Jesus and began to sink. Thus, he missed out on completing something important.
There are times when we do this as well. When things are going well for us and all is calm, we have no trouble keeping focused in the right direction. But the moment a hardship comes, we take our eyes off Jesus and begin to seek other ways to achieve what we desire. When this happens, we are not able to finish the most important thing any of us should be engaged in—going all the way to Jesus and obeying His teaching.
The storms in our lives may be totally different from what Peter went through, but we have them. All of us need to make sure we are moving toward the Master and not finding ways that take us from Him.
Today you may be having a difficult time about something. Have you turned it over to God? Are you letting Him help you through the storm you are facing? He has the power and the desire if we are willing to give ourselves to Him.