I Made It: Joy in the ValleySample

Day 2:

“Through the storms,

The hell and high water,

I never left the hands of my Father.

Lungs still breathing,

Thank You Jesus.

I made it.

I made it.

I made it.

I made it.”

The lyrics of this song have been our anthem over the past year - allowing space for both the mourning and the joy. Ecclesiastes 3:4 has been a guiding scripture for us when Solomon writes, “[there is] a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (NIV) as this year has been full of good laughs and fun dances on stage - but also heavy tears and deep grief.

Today, we want to talk about the hope that we have in the troubles of life & the way that Jesus shows up for us - even in the storms. To do this, we are diving into the New Testament in Matthew 8 (NIV).

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”

Before we talk about how this relates to our own storms - let’s dive into some cultural context. The lake that the disciples and Jesus were on was the Sea of Galilee. This particular body of water is known to have large squalls come up because of the crosswinds. If you get the chance - look up a video of storms on the Sea of Galilee because they are TERRIFYING! It’s no wonder that the disciples were so scared, waking Jesus up with an urgency; we can find ourselves being scared of a thunderstorm from the safety of our homes.

If you know anything about us, we are pastor kids’ through and through. We have heard every sermon possible on the way that Jesus calms storms (and perhaps you have too) - but today, we want you to focus on a different detail: Jesus Sleeping.

Have you ever taken a moment to ask yourself - how was Jesus sleeping in the boat while the winds and waves were surrounding them. Did He even care about His disciples or their fears?

If so, we’ve been there. And if you haven’t ever focused on this detail, we’ve been there too - depending on our season of life!

But the truth is - Jesus didn’t sleep soundly out of apathy or exhaustion from a full day of ministry. Instead, He slept soundly because He knew the ending. He knew His friends were in the hand of the Father. He knew they were safe. And because of that, He slept in peace until they woke Him up.

Could not the same be true for all of us? Is it possible that in the midst of our storms and frustration that God doesn’t answer, not out of apathy, but because He knows the ending and has called it good?

Or is it possible that our good, good Father is ready to calm the waves as soon as we cry out to Him - He’s just waiting for us to speak?

The answer is a resounding - yes! And while this may not always be the case (we want to be sensitive to your own story with the Lord), we can say with confidence that the Lord is always doing something in our confusion, pain, and frustration.

Romans 5:3-5 has been a comforting verse for us in our own season. It says, “...but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us,” (NIV).

From suffering to endurance. From endurance to deep character. From character to hope. And from hope to assurance in the love of the Lord through the work of the Spirit.

The storm may be terrifying. It may be lonely. And it may feel hopeless. But, our Jesus is not sleeping!

He sees you, friend. You have made it. Keep going!