MATTHEW 14:22-27 – Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

THEME OF THE DAY. REMEMBER WHO IS BEHIND EACH STORM. Today’s scripture is one of those “I missed those points” type of scripture. Let me explain. Go back and read it again. It is so easy to be drawn into the riveting scene of the raging storm, the little boat being tossed about in the rough seas, the great fear gripping the disciples, the appearance of the Lord walking on the sea, and then the comforting Presence of the Lord calming the hearts of His disciples. And the lessons learned are not hard to discern either; overcoming fear by the Lord’s Presence, trusting in His character amid life’s storms, and the warning not to allow outward circumstances get your eyes of faith off the Lord. But here comes the “I missed those points” in today’s scripture. And they are important points in today’s scripture. In fact, these points lead to a couple of crucial lessons to be learned if we are going to navigate life’s storms in ways that honor the Lord. Here they are . . .

First, Jesus placed the disciples in the dangerous storm – Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. This wasn’t by chance. It was the sovereign Lord who put His disciples to sea and into the storm. The lesson? God ordains everything in our lives. He is working out every detail for good and glorious purposes, and He makes no mistakes. Let this bring great comfort when we feel like life’s storms are drowning us. Stop and remember, the Personal and living God has placed us in our current situation. Though it hurts, feels very dark, and God seems disinterested in our situation, we may rest assured we are not in this storm without Divine Guidance. We don’t “set our own sails” into the storms of life. The Lord sent us into them, and that to teach us about Himself in all His faithfulness and sustaining power.

Another lesson is that the God who sent us into the storm is also the One who controls how long we will be in the storm – When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them. Jesus picked the specific time to come and calm the fears of His disciples by His Presence, but remember, He picks the time. He didn’t appear immediately during the disciples’ storm. He waited. And when He calls upon us to wait for His calming Presence and help in the storms of our lives, don’t panic. He hasn’t abandoned you. He is maturing you. He will come in the storms of your life at just the right time; His time when what needs to be accomplished in your heart and life is complete. Trust Him. He will come.

So, when we read the scriptures, be mindful of those portions that might contain a “I missed that” lesson. It might be the very thing the Lord wants us to learn.

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I forget that You are the orchestrator of all things in my life.”

QUOTE: “Learn to focus, not on the seen circumstances in our life, but the unseen God of circumstances in your life.”