The Promise of a Safe Passage
In the Gospels we read of a time when Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake" (Luke 8:22). So they got into their little boat, and the seasoned sailors started rowing away, making their way across the Sea of Galilee. Then a great storm came, which was not unusual for Galilee. As the disciples were panicking, Jesus was below deck, sleeping. So they woke Him up and shouted, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:38)
Now, that seems a little accusatory. Hello, Lord? Are You paying attention right now? It seems almost as though You don’t care!
So Jesus got up and rebuked the storm—and He rebuked them as well. He said, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (verse 40). A literal translation is, "Why are you so timid, fearful ones?" In other words, "Guys, haven’t you learned anything? Did you hear what I said? I said, ‘Let’s go over to the other side.’ I didn’t say, ‘Let’s drown in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.’ If I had said that, you would have reason to panic."
Jesus did not promise them smooth sailing. But He did promise a safe passage.
The same is true for us. God has not promised us smooth sailing. I am sorry, but there is no such thing as a trouble-free life. But He has promised us a safe passage. You see, a lot of times we want to avoid the storm. But sometimes there are lessons we learn in the storms of life that we would not learn otherwise.
Here is the way I look at it: It is better to be in a storm with Jesus than anywhere else without Him.
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