Jesus, The Harbor in Your Tempest

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

What valley do you find yourself in today? What desert have you been wandering around in, desperately searching for the way out. The wilderness is always a daunting time for believers. It is the time that tests and strengthens our faith. It is a time that builds our character and provides us with the vital training God needs us to go through to accomplish the work that He has set out for us. We can know these facts and still dread the experience. We can still struggle to survive the storm we find ourselves in. One of the greatest errors people make is in assuming that being covered by the grace of God means that we will not have struggles. Jesus Himself dispelled that misconception:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Clearly Jesus warns us and understands that we will have tribulation in this world. There is no exemption for Christians. There is however, no shortage of promises from God in His word. There is no shortage of reassuring words in the bible for us to savor and hide in our hearts for those times we find ourselves in the storm. One of the most definitive ones though is found in Romans 8:28. When all else fails to calm us we should take refuge in this verse from the Apostle Paul. There are three very important facts that we need to hold close to our hearts in the wilderness that are contained in this powerful verse.

First is that those who love Him are called according to His purpose. We tend to forget as our walk goes on that we are no longer our own.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1Corinthians 6: 19-20

It is not just enough to walk with God and say that we love Him. We need to remember that we have been called according to His purpose. There is a work that He has for us and he understands how we need to be prepared for that work. The work that God had called Joseph to would take decades to come to fruition. He would be sold into slavery by his own brothers and then be falsely accused and thrown into prison for over 10 years. Talk about a wilderness! I am sure that Joseph spent many a night wondering about the promises he knew God had made to him but he did not lose faith. I know it is difficult to focus on this when the sands of your desert are swirling around you, but we must try and remember that God has called us for a purpose. We may not see it now but we know that Romans 8:28 promises that it is so.

The second truth in this verse is that God is working for our good! It may not seem it in the middle of the wilderness because we are hurting but God is in control! This verse promises that God is not passive in your life beloved. He is WORKING for your good. This promise is echoed by the Prophet Jeremiah:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

God's plans are not to harm you. His plans are to give you hope and a future. We of course often cannot see past the storm we are going through in our present to understand that it may be helping us in our future. That is why it is always important to remember that God sees all time. We must hold onto this when it seems to our momentary eye that something has not gone our way. We could bemoan that we did not get that promotion at work but God sees the end result of that promotion. Perhaps it results in failure of some kind. Perhaps it takes you away from God and the calling He has for you. We only see the moment of disappointment not the eventual disaster that might ensue. We could bemoan the end of a relationship because of how we feel in the present. God however sees the end result of the relationship if it were to continue at that point. Perhaps there is more growth for the two involved before the relationship would have worked. Perhaps God knows that it ultimately would never have worked. He sees the outcome, we only feel the moment. We could say "why me" when we are going through a sickness in our body and not see the blessings we can be to someone in the future who is going through the same thing that God sees us through today. We have to trust that God knows better. Why? Because He is working on you for your good! He has the plan for your future; we only have the disappointment and pain of the present. Remember that God is His word and His word is:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119: 105

Note that it only lights by our feet. We convince ourselves that we want to see the great future God has for us but the truth is that if we actually saw it, we probably would never get out of bed! How many times have we looked back on a past wilderness experience and understood what God was doing and how we grew and matured from it? God is working for your Good beloved, right now He is working. You may not feel it in the desert but Romans 8:28 promises it is so.

The last truth in this verse is that not only is God working for our good, but He is working in ALL things for that good! There is nothing that escapes God. There is nothing that surprises God. He knows exactly where you are in your storm. He knows exactly what you need to learn and how you need to grow in your walk as a result of the storm. We can sometimes think that our circumstance is somehow below God's radar. This verse assures us that nothing is! He is also building your witness. Your experiences can end up being invaluable to the future work that He has for you. We can look at one moment in the life of Peter as a model for our behavior in our storms. The disciples were in a boat heading across the lake to Capernaum and Jesus was not with them. Here the Gospel of John tells us:

A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. John 6: 18

And there we can also be, rowing along in our lives when we find the wind picks up and the waters grow rough. The same story in the Gospel of Mark tells us that the disciples were straining because the wind was "against them." Isn't that how we feel in our storms too? The wind is against us and we are straining so desperately. Sometimes it can feel as if everything is against us and the strain takes everything we have to just to keep our head above the waves. The Gospel of Matthew tells the same story and continues:

But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Matthew 14: 27

And that is how Jesus wants us to look at our current situation too. He is in your storm, walking on the rough waters right towards you. He is saying to you to take courage and to not be afraid. Peter correctly asks the Lord to command him to come out of his boat, his situation if you will, and to walk above the waves. When Jesus told Peter to come, he was able to walk above the waves and on the water that was threatening him just a few moments earlier. He was looking to Jesus and walking on the water when he made the same mistake we also make:

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14: 30

Note that it was not until Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and placed his focus back on his circumstances, the wind, that he began to sink. The same goes for us in our storms. As long as we are looking at the wind and the waves in our life, we too will continue to sink in them. It is only when we keep our eyes firmly focused on God that we can overcome them, through His strength. It is a question of faith:

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31

What faith is Jesus speaking to Peter about? The faith that God is working all things out for our good! Peter was called according to the purpose of God. This storm was a test of his faith that he failed but it prepared him for later tests of faith that he would pass. Peter eventually would be the one to give the sermon on Pentecost that would see three thousand saved to Christ! It was storms such as these that prepared him. It is storms such as you are going through, that are preparing you as well.

So God is calling into your desert today beloved. He is saying that He is your way out. He is calling into your wilderness and reminding you that He is always at your right hand; do not be shaken (Acts 2:25). He is the harbor in your tempest; the rest in your storm. Remember that you are called according to his purpose and that He is working all things out for your good. We may not see it or feel it, but by faith we must know it. We must own it in our hearts and weather the storm until Jesus calls us out and then, we must keep our eyes upon Him for he is bigger than our circumstances. God sees your hurt beloved. He is at work; fear not.

Anthony Wade July 10, 2008