“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ ” (Mark 4:39-40)

I have found that Jesus is rarely early when He shows up. His timing is perfect. He’s usually there at the darkest hour – that moment of crisis. But He’s there. Now, He didn’t cause the storm, nor does He want the storm to overtake us. But He is absolutely present during our every storm. And His purpose in the midst of the storm is not to harm us, punish us, or teach us a severe lesson. No, His goal is the strengthening of our faith. That’s the purpose storms serve. They bring us to that place of putting our faith in action. What will we now do with what we know?

Jesus can speak peace to every storm. But I believe He had hopes that His men would have been able to, by faith, speak to that storm themselves. But God is patient with us, and the present assignment is just one of many we will encounter in our lifetime. There will certainly be more storms ahead – greater assignments – new opportunities for ministry, personal growth, serving, and blessing. I know that this storm is a test of our faith. We can grow and become stronger. That’s the ultimate result of the storms of life if we respond appropriately.

~ Kirk Henderson