Are you desperate?
Do you crave more of God and the satisfaction only He can provide?
I, as I imagine most people do, I go through seasons of my life, times when everything is "alright" and many seasons where the storms of life are raging around me causing my boat to rock with waves of the storm. Waves can be when a loved one dies, waves can be when a job is lost, or a partner has an affair, waves can even be when those around you are having such difficulty it starts to rub off on you.
Jesus said in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus makes it pretty clear we will have trouble. What does Jesus show us about storms that come our way?
In Mark 4:38-40 Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”
Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and the lake became calm.
He said to his followers, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
I'm ashamed to say that there are many times in my life when it takes a great storm to remind me of how dependent I must be on my Saviour. God will often allow things to get "messed up" in order to get our attention.
In Psalm 42 David writes As the deer pants for water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. Where can I find him to come and stand before him? Day and night I weep for his help, and all the while my enemies taunt me. “Where is this God of yours?” they scoff.
Take courage, my soul! Do you remember those times (but how could you ever forget them!) when you led a great procession to the Temple on festival days, singing with joy, praising the Lord? Why then be downcast? Why be discouraged and sad? Hope in God! I shall yet praise him again. Yes, I shall again praise him for his help.
Yet I am standing here depressed and gloomy, but I will meditate upon your kindness to this lovely land where the Jordan River flows and where Mount Hermon and Mount Mizar stand. All your waves and billows have gone over me, and floods of sorrow pour upon me like a thundering cataract.
Yet day by day the Lord also pours out his steadfast love upon me, and through the night I sing his songs and pray to God who gives me life.
“O God my Rock,” I cry, “why have you forsaken me? Why must I suffer these attacks from my enemies?” Their taunts pierce me like a fatal wound; again and again they scoff, “Where is that God of yours?” But, O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God!
So again, I ask are you desperate for Jesus? Do you long to be in His presence? How important are the things of this world to you? Are you like a deer panting for a drink of water to quench your thirst? If you're like me, it's probably time to do a little soul-searching and question if we're really craving Jesus or looking to other things too highly. We can't avoid storms and trouble in this life, but we can always go to Jesus, let's make a point of doing so and not waiting for storms to prompt that response.
Comments