Who said it was going to be easy?

Let us go over to the other side.(Mark 4:35)

Even though we follow Christ's command, we should not expect to escape the storm. In this passage of Scripture, the disciples were obeying His command, yet they encountered the fiercest of storms and were in great danger of being drowned. In their distress, they cried out for Christ's assistance.

Christ may delay coming to us during our times of distress, but it is simply so our faith may be tested and strengthened. His purpose is also that our prayers will be more powerful, our desire for deliverance will be greater, and when deliverance finally comes we will appreciate it more fully.

Gently rebuking His disciples, Christ asked, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (v.40). In effect, He was saying, "Why didn't you face the storm victoriously and shout to the raging winds and rolling waves, 'You cannot harm us, for Christ, the mighty Savior, is on board'?"

Of course, it is much easier to trust God when the sun is shining than to trust Him when the storm is raging around us.

Yet we never know our level of genuine faith until it is tested in a fierce storm, and that is why our Savior is on board. If you are ever to "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power" (Eph. 6:10), your strength will be born during a storm. (selected)

With Christ in my vessel,
I smile at the storm

Christ said, "Let us go over to the other side" - not "to the middle of the lake to be drowned." Daniel Crawford

Above taken from Streams in the Desert devotional, June 3

Why continually worry about things not yet here?

"God does not open paths for ue before we come to them, or provide help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are at our point of need, God's hand is outstretched.

Many people forget this truth and continually worry about difficulties they envision in the future. They expect God to open and clear many miles of road before them, but He promises to do it step by step, only as their need arises. You must be in the floodwaters before you can claim God's promise. Many people dread death and are distressed that they do not have "dying grace". Of course, they will never have the grace for death when they are in good health. Why should they have it while in the midst of life's duties, with death still far away? Living grace is what is needed for life's work and calling, and then dying grace when it is time to die." J.R.M. (Streams in the Desert)

Why is it that we are so focused on the things that could go wrong in our lives? We miss out on so much in our lives when we are constantly putting ourselves into a state of fear. We need to focus on God, focus on the things that matter in life and take things one day at a time. "The more intimacy we have with Christ, the more He will bless us" - Pastor Peter Haas. God is on our side so what should we ever have to worry about?

Blessings!
Renee