A Lesson In Faith By Way Of The Sea

Jesus's disciples were sent out to the next city that He wanted to visit. They ran into trouble. A weather event took place, and that made it difficult to continue their voyage. They were scared about what was about to happen to them. In the narrative, they did not call out to the LORD or to Jesus to help them. They struggled against the sea to take control of the situation. But they could not do it. Jesus knew that they did not have complete faith in Him. So, He walked out toward the boat. The Scripture says that He was going to walk past them. Could this mean that if they did not ask for His help that He intended to let them die on the sea? It was a test. They realized that the ghost was really their Messiah and asked Him to join them on the boat. The storm was then over. The spiritual lesson was to have faith in the power of Jesus and call upon Him.

There are always complications in life. No one can say that their life has been free of pain, sorrow, or distress. Who do you turn to in times of trouble? When I officiate a wedding, I tell the couple that their life together is like traveling upon a road. Living in Pennsylvania, it is well known that our streets have many potholes. Potholes on the road like the potholes in life will sneak up upon us. Sometimes we can avoid the potholes on the road called life. Many times we cannot. What will prevent your life from being destroyed by the potholes of life? The answer is to place your trust and faith in the LORD and Jesus. When tragedy strikes, it is the LORD who can help heal the spirit and the body. Look to the LORD for your very existence.

The disciples were given a chance to turn to Jesus but did not turn immediately. Since Jesus got into the boat and calmed the storm, they must have spoken with Him. They had to have asked Him to save them. The lesson of surrender to the LORD and Jesus is the crucial point. Have you surrendered your life to the LORD through Jesus?

Surrendering your life to the LORD means allowing the LORD through the Holy Spirit to be your guide and protector. We have the guidebook to a happy life from the LORD. Today we call it the Bible. The Gospels are a great resource about living a life that pleases the LORD and exemplifies the sacrifice of Jesus. From the Bible, we can learn how to call upon the LORD when trouble in life occurs.

No matter who you are, no matter how much money you have, sometime in your life, something terrible is going to happen. Probably every reader of this blog can say that something terrible has happened in their lives. The question becomes, "what did you do about it?" People who do not have a relationship with the LORD through Jesus will have difficulty answering this question. The faithful in Jesus know that they must turn to Jesus to get them through it when life gets complicated.

We have to acknowledge that stuff happens. The randomness of the world and the free-choice that we have is a gift from the LORD. Unfortunately, that means that unplanned events will occur in life. You have two choices when this happens. You can lose yourself in your grief, or you can take your grief to the LORD and ask for spiritual healing. The Shekinah can offer the healing that is necessary for you to be made whole again.

That is the basic definition of surrendering to the LORD. Place everything in the LORD's hand. Know that the LORD will show you how to restore your spirit and soul when bad things happen. In other words, TRUST GOD.

May the LORD bless you in your learning and studying of His Word.