November 28, 2021: Storms Will Come

“He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’” (Mark 4:40, ESV).

The disciples, several of whom were experienced sailors, had been scared to death as a windstorm brought waves crashing over the side of their boat. Water filled the vessel faster than they could bail it out. Yet, Jesus slept peacefully until the disciples woke him. After calming the storm, He asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Peter would take this lesson to heart. In Acts 12, he endured a different kind of storm. Shackled between two guards, he slept peacefully in prison though his death was imminent.

How can one sleep in the middle of a storm? I wrestled with this idea at 3 a.m., as once again sleep alluded me. For weeks, I had been struggling with anxiety, which robbed me of peaceful rest night after night. As I prayed to God, He showed me the reason for my distress. I wanted to be in control of everything. God said: You are not in control. I am.

My responsibility centered around choosing to trust Him and work alongside Him. I had to trust that He knew the desires of my heart and would continue to do what was best for me in His way and at His time.

It was with this realization that a peace that had eluded me began to grow. Storms still come, and every now and then I find myself awake in the middle of the night. But I remember it is God Who is in control.
I simply need to rest in Him.

Dear Lord, help me to remember that You have my life under control. I simply need to choose to have faith in You. Amen.

Michele Joseph attends the Charlottesville and Harrisonburg churches in Virginia, where her husband pastors.