There I was in the middle of beautiful, clear waters on the north side of Hawaii snorkeling around Shark's Cove when suddenly (cue the music)...I was in trouble.
Up until this point, I had enjoyed a nice relaxing day of floating around on the water's surface while taking in the ever-changing oceanic scene around me. As the day went on, the water became choppy due to a boisterous storm that was still quite a ways away from the island (but the effects were becoming evident).
I am not a terrible swimmer but I am also not a great swimmer; the consistent pushes of the growing waves reminded me of my marginal abilities.
Combine that with the sighting of what I thought was a giant snake or eel and it was enough to put me into "cat in a bath mode"...panicked, flailing about, and looking for a way out.
As I began having trouble breathing, I remember thinking..."go back to what you know". I knew I could float. I knew I could control my breathing. I knew I was less than 50 feet from shore. I knew I could swim parallel to the shore and eventually move closer to it. I knew (or imagined) that eels can only eat so much fat before choking so I was safe.
Just like that...I was back on land, slightly embarrassed of my "ordeal".
The waves... weren't that bad.
This past week, something that struck me in my Bible reading in Luke was the well-known account of Jesus telling His disciples to go to the other side of the lake of Galilee. He promises them they are going to the other side for further ministry and then retires to take a nap. The winds begin to whip up and they begin taking on water. Though they were accomplished, veteran fishermen, they found themselves bailing water and in an emotional deluge.
Panicked, they wake Jesus up and He seems to rather nonchalantly defy nature. As He demonstrates His mastery over creation, the disciples are filled with a different dread; who is this man that can so easily stop, in their realm, what was unstoppable for them?
He then corrects them by asking where their faith had been placed.
The account, though so familiar, stood out starkly in my mind and convicted me.
I often do the right thing in running to Jesus with the issues that are causing me great concern, maybe even a level of anxiety. I desire for His power to intervene and handle what is impossible for me to do.
Such motives are not necessarily wrong as I need to identify my need, insufficiency, and His ability.
But what if, before I run to Him with a request based on my perspective, I would pause to remember His outlook? He has already given me a great wealth of promises to rely upon during my "storms".
Further, the waves may threaten me but they do not challenge Him. Maybe the waves aren't that bad and I should not be so quick to petition Jesus for their cessation.
Let's ask ourselves these questions and then answer them with Scripture:
Where do I find His promises to me as His follower?
What has He promised me about His presence?
What has He promised me about His care?
What has He promised me about His crafting of my life for His glory?
What has He promised me about my final destination?
Who has He placed around me during this time?
Friends, I want to challenge us to answer the above questions with truths from the Scripture and then comment with them below or email info@includefaith.org.
Let's encourage one another about who is with us in the midst of our storms!
Though they are quite real to us, His ability as our Messiah makes them quite immaterial. It is not true to assume that He doesn't care; it is true to recognize that His care is not tethered to our sense of what must happen for it to be "ok".
Maybe, instead of the waves changing, I just need to be changed by going back to what and Who I know.
Serving together,
Pastor Paul