Not very many years ago I went through the worst emotional storm of my
life (so far). I had lost my Mother, lost my church family, lost our
house, and our sons moved out about the same time period. Any one of
those would be hard but losing my Mother was a huge blow. I asked God
why He would do this to me several times and I know I blamed God for
my depression. I have heard many people going through storms of life
ask the same question. If my husband, Bill, had not been a preacher I
believe I would have stopped going to worship. Every part of the
worship service was a reminder of the way things used to be. I felt
like I had no energy or desire to keep on going but I went because I
felt like I had to for Bill. I'm glad I did now.
Do you realize that in Mark 6: 45 Jesus made His disciples get into
the boat and go on ahead while He stayed to dismiss the crowd? Do you
think Jesus didn't know there was a great storm coming? Being God in
the flesh, of course He knew. Then why did He send them on ahead
knowing there would be a storm waiting for them? Verse 47 tells that
the crowd left and He was alone on the shore at evening. Next (vs 48)
He sees the disciples struggling but He does not go out to them until
the fourth watch of the night. That would be in the very late hours of
the night. They had been struggling in the storm for hours by then and
must have been exhausted and scared. Have you ever been there? Have
you ever felt like God must have deserted you completely? I have. I
think I understand how His disciples must have felt. Why would He do
that? Read on.
About the fourth hour of the watch He was about to pass them by. They
saw him and were terrified. But they didn't hide. -- No. -- They cried
out to Him. They did not give up. Even after seeing the miracles Jesus
performed they had little understanding of who Jesus really was but
they still had faith in Him. Immediately He spoke to them and got into
the boat. He told them to take courage and not to be afraid. Then the
storm immediately died down.
I didn't share my story with you because I wanted your pity or
sympathy but because many of you have also been through storms. Many
are going through storms right now. Maybe you also feel like burying
your head in the sand and giving up. This is the time when you need
Jesus and the family of God more than ever. Never, never, never give
up. I believe it is all a growing process and I believe I have a
better understanding of who God really is now more than I did even
seven years ago. He is still working on me just as He is on you.
Someday we will be complete and we will go Home.
~Sharon Paxton~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you like what you have read please pass this along
intact. I am Sharon Paxton, editor of Guidewords and
member of the church of Christ that meets here in
Springtown, Texas. I hope you were uplifted, encouraged,
learned something or made to smile while reading the
Guidewords.
Guidewords.InJesus.com
