Navigating the Storms of Lifeნიმუში

Faith

Today we’re exploring our third navigational tool: faith. In a boat with His terrified disciples, Jesus spoke to the wind and waves and proved He was bigger and more powerful than the storm – and we can learn to navigate the storms of life by putting our faith in the One who controls them.

Perhaps knowing God’s in control still doesn’t help you know what to do or where to turn. Jesus calls us to follow Him, and in times of physical or emotional trauma, we need to have more faith in the Shepherd’s ability to lead us than in our ability to follow. When the storms hit and you go into fight, flight, or freeze, check your ideas against the truth of God’s Word and the wisdom He promises to give you, then in faith step out of the fear that’s had you shrinking back in self-preservation. Start following Jesus into the Kingdom-advancing purposes He has for your life – though the storms rage and though you may still be very afraid.

Jospeh weathered severe storms in his life, and in Psalm 105:19 we read, ‘Until the time came to fulfil his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character.’ Joseph couldn’t see what God was doing across the decades of his life, but he didn’t lose his faith in God, and he remained faithful to God. Perhaps you can’t make sense of where God has you now and your character is being tested. Trust Him to protect and establish you in this place. Your unique context – storms and all – is preparing you for God’s purposes.

If you’ve ever been seasick, you’ve probably been told not to look down but to keep your eyes on the horizon. When we’re navigating the storms of life, it generally doesn’t help to look down. We seldom find the answers in the waves or lying at the bottom of the boat. Sometimes God gives us a glimpse of the purpose behind a certain trial, but mostly, there aren’t shiny-happy stories to tell. Mostly, our suffering can seem pretty random. It’s then that we need to resist staring down into our own stories. Rather, we should look up and look far – to the horizon of history – remembering that all our stories are connected by three big dots: in the beginning, meanwhile, and in the end. In the beginning, the world broke because of people’s sin. The wave of sin has rolled on ever since, and it’s responsible for our meanwhile (where we are now: a broken world where crazy, terrible things happen). But in the end, God will roll up all of history for His glory, magnificently restoring and renewing all things. It takes faith, but we need to keep our eyes on that distant shore.

May you be storm-ready as you take hold of the navigational tools of truth, wisdom, and faith. Remember: the word ‘navigate’ means to find the way to get to a place when you’re travelling. We’re all travelling through time, all the time, all the sunrises and sunsets it takes us to get from birth to death. Jesus calls Himself ‘the Way’. We don’t just believe in Jesus; we know Jesus. That means, we know the Way. We can navigate the storms of life, and there is hope.