In the storm

The last few weeks have been tough. I have felt so weighed down by the devastation caused by sin in this world. I have cried out a lot of "Why God?" questions and I have wrestled with these things. 

It can be hard, if not impossible to understand the intersection of the sovereignty and the goodness of God when we look at the hurt and the pain all around us. But as I was wrestling with these things--the Sovereign Lord allowed a simple Wednesday evening message to speak His goodness to my heart. 

We were studying Acts, but the verse that caught my eye--and spoke directly to my heart was one little cross reference was in Mark 6--Jesus's disciples are in a boat crossing the sea of Galilee and a storm comes up against them--it actually says that "they were making headway painfully." Isn't that often how this life feels--like making headway painfully? For every step forward it's two steps back. But then the Lord Jesus comes and He says, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." Then the storm is calmed. 

The thought that the Lord brought to my mind that night was this---"Do you trust more in the Lord who never allows a storm or the Lord who is present with you in the midst of the storm?" 

The reality is that when we have periods of calm--we quickly forget the Lord who is with us always. But in the midst of life's storms we take heart in realizing the presence of the One who says, "It is I. Do not be afraid." 

It is also interesting to note that the Lord calmed their hearts before He calmed the sea--He may not always calm the storm right away but He calms His child in the storm. 

So, Lord Jesus, I pray that I would see You in the storms--that I would recognize Your presence with me and that I would take heart.Help me to remember that the gift of Your presence is a far greater gift than any escape from earthly circumstances.