"Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping." Matthew 8:24

One of the wonderful things about nature is that it provides such a great illustration of spiritual principles. Maybe that’s because the Creator of physical laws also created spiritual laws! Think of some parallels. A seed is buried in the ground and rises up as a new creation. Sound familiar?

We have the four seasons, which match the seasons of our lives so well. There are predators, prey, the guilty, and the innocent. There is night and day. And there is a seeming endless tug-of-war between two sides—much like the spiritual war into which we have been drafted.

And then there are storms. In nature and in life. Some, like the one mentioned in Matthew, are furious and seem to come out of nowhere. Some start slowly and just don’t seem to quit, like a long winter blizzard. And in all of them, it seems as though the Master is sleeping and hard to rouse. Doesn’t he care? “Hey Jesus, I’m drowning here, don’t you see?”

If you’ve lived long enough, you’ve seen your share of storms. And Jesus was no stranger to them. Really, every major character in the Bible faced them. Maybe you are facing one now. What’s the right response? How will it all turn out? Jesus gives a clue in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Friend, there is more to this world than meets the eye. Above, you can see a fantastic picture of a storm on water, and the inside of the human eye. Both the storm and the ability to see it share the same Creator. But the eye, marvelous as it is, can’t see the most important things. Our eyes only see the outside, but God looks at the heart. Things like love, faith, and hope. The fruits of the Spirit don’t take a visible form, but they are even more lasting than the things we see. And that is what matters—how long something lasts. Even the long storms don’t last and often eventually give way to the most beautiful and calm weather. And there is another spiritual analogy. For a Christian, the final storm of death is just a prelude to a new life. The one who trumped death leads the way across the chasm and promises to all those who follow, life eternal.
Read John 14 and laugh at your storm!