The Other Side of Through

Jesus, in Luke 4:35-41; 5:1, after having finished teaching by the lakeshore, told His disciples in v. 35, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake (NLT)." Now, notice what He said, they were going to the other side. Well, we all know the events that followed.

A great storm came and the disciples were afraid. And to top it all off, Jesus was sleeping in the midst of this ferocious storm! Frightened and distressed, the disciples awakened Jesus, who got up and simply said three words, "Peace be still."

He then asked the disciples why they were so frightened and whether or not they had faith in Him. See, the disciples lost sight of all the previous things Jesus had done. They lost sight of Who it was they had been with all this time. And they missed the simple promise Jesus gave in His saying, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." Don't let your situation make you forget the promise. Don't become so focused on the storm that you forget the One who is right there with you in the midst of it and has the power to bring peace even in the midst of the storm.

Note that Luke 5:1 tells us that they did make it to the other side as promised and there Jesus healed the man who had been possessed by a legion of demons. Know that on the other side of the storms you face, you will have grown in your faith and because you have grown in your faith, you will have also become perserverant and more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Through the storms, come peace. Through the storms, comes increase. Through the storms, come healing.

When we have the proper perspective of our stormy times in life and understand that they come to make us strong, our attitude is that of joy rather than sorrow. It is one of the many ways in which our Heavenly Father shows His love for us. Proverbs 3:11-12 says: "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as the father the son he delights in." So whether you are experiencing a storm because of a poor choice you've made or even just from life itself, know that God allows these to come to bring us into a closer and more intimate walk with Him. And God is just SO good that He doesn't leave us to go through it alone. We have a Comfortor, the indwelling Holy Spirit of God who leads and guides us if we'd but only listen.

So, when your storms come, for they will, remember that they have a purpose: to produce growth in your life, to make you strong and to bring you closer to the Father! And in the midst of that storm, know that your loving Heavenly Father is growing you more and more into the likeness of His Son, Jesus the Christ!