Hope in the Night (A 30-Day Reflection of the Word of God)

Third Night: Why was I Thrown Into the Heart of the Storm?

"Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.... But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary."
- Matthew 14:22, 24

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Reflection:

Following Jesus can often take you directly into the heart of a storm – into the heart of hopelessness and despair. It's not easy at all. It even happened to Jesus’ disciples on the Sea of Galilee. They were simply doing what they had been told to do: to go into the boat and leave their Master while Jesus sends the crowd away. And while they obeyed Jesus, they wound up in one of the worst nights of their lives.

Jesus made them get into the boat. The disciples were being obedient. They were reading their Bible, listening to the Word, and doing what it said. But then it happened: Winds pounded their boat threatening to destroy them. They were far from the shore. There was no one around them and the boat they were in. It was hopeless.

Have you ever felt blown about or battered in the middle of doing exactly what you believe God told you to do?

Because I do have. Many times. I wish I could tell you that following Jesus means you will never have to face any storms. I wish I could tell you that it means the waters of this life will always be calm. That there would be no problem, no persecution, no discrimination and heartaches once we follow Jesus Christ and obey God's commands.

But I can’t. We know to ourselves that we can't tell that to each other because the Bible says otherwise. The Bible is full of stories about people who faced hard times while doing exactly what God wanted them to do. When the Israelites escaped Egypt and reached the Red Sea, Pharaoh and his army were behind them. Water stretched for miles in front of them. There was nowhere to go even though they had gone exactly where God had sent them.

Remember this: You can be both in the center of God’s will, and still stuck in what appears to be a hopeless situation. But do not confuse trials or hopelessness to an absence of God or His plans. Remember that He has a purpose for the storms He allowed in our lives.

There had been a lot of preachings and a lot of Christian books — even normal conversations between Christians, sadly — say or implied that if believers follow Jesus, they will never have to face any challenges in life. Such claim is a lie and another way of the enemy to deceive God's children. Jesus even told those who followed Him that they will have tribulation — in other words, suffering — in this world (John 16:33).

God sometimes allows sufferings into your lives in order to reveal Himself to you in a way that you would not have known Him otherwise. But whether you win these trials or have it defeat you depends on how you view these results and how you will respond to God in the midst of it.

Being in a trial is never easy. Suffering is never fun. Every challenge in life is a struggle. But you don’t have to go through it alone. The pandemic, this COVID-19 may have put pressure on your financial life. Maybe you've lost your job because of this horrible event. It may have put your family in a tight situation because you have to provide for them everyday. Now that the pandemic is rampant outside of our homes, you might have a young family member who needed to attend classes through online and yet you cannot afford an internet or a computer.

Maybe these pressures have increased the strain at home in your family and you are facing a storm in your marriage or with your kids.

Whatever you considered as a storm in your life, remember that you are not alone. Jesus is with you and He will see you through. Listen for His voice. Look for Him. If life ever makes you feel like you are drowning, your lifeguard walks on water.

Always look up to Jesus.

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Prayer:

O, Gracious God, thank You for bringing me into this circumstance in my life. Because of this trial, I came to know You deeply and was able to prove that You are faithful and true to Your promises. I know that in every step I take towards You, there will be more challenges. But I will take heart and look upon You, Lord. And I hold unto Your promise that You will be with me until the end of my journey. In Jesus Christ's Name, Amen.