Trust and Glorify the God of Peace

            In Matthew 8:23-27, we read this: “Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”  But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?””

            Earlier this week, one of the worst storms in history tore through Oklahoma.  The National Weather Service called it one of the worst they had ever seen (that should tell us just how bad it was).  The insurances claims alone will easily top $1 billion mark.  And, at the time of this writing, at least 24 have been confirmed dead, including nine children.  People’s lives will never be the same again.

            With situations like this, it is difficult to know what to think.  Obviously, the loss of life, especially that of those nine children, is terrible.  But, after that, it’s challenging to know what else to think or even where to begin.  Considering this, please allow me to focus our minds on three relevant and rather important thoughts.

            Firstly, I believe it is important for us to understand that God is not a god of chaos.  When Elijah was in the cave and the whirlwind and earthquake and fire all shook the mountain, where was the Lord?  He was in the still small voice amidst the chaos (1 Kings 19:11-13).  In Matthew 8, He wasn’t in the tempest, He was in the boat and His calm voice quieted the whole storm.  God is a God of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33; Philippians 4:9).  And, amidst all of the calamity in this life, God can bring peace in even the worst storms (2 Thessalonians 3:16; Psalm 29:11).  So, come to know Him better as the God of Peace.

            Secondly, in times of calamity, trust in the LORD with all of your heart (Proverbs 3:5).  Have a real faith in His power to deliver even the sinner’s soul from Hell and have faith in His willingness to do so (John 3:16).  And, in those times of trouble, don’t cry out to the Lord as those on the boat did.  Rather, let His surpassing peace rule in your heart (Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:15), come to Him in faith (James 1:6) knowing that everything will work out for the best (Romans 8:28).  I will admit, it takes a strong faith do this, but that is the kind of faith we’re called to obtain (Psalm 27:1).  This is something which requires some growing into; so, let us strive to grow into this kind of faith.

            Finally, let us understand that tempestuous times are opportunities.  Those inside the tempest have an opportunity to glorify God by their trusting faith (1 Corinthians 10:31).  Those outside of a particular storm have the opportunity to glorify God in doing good to all (Galatians 6:10).  We may not always see every trial like this, but this is what they are.  May we be good stewards of these blessings (1 Corinthians 4:2).

            May we all come to a better understanding of the Lord and develop a stronger faith which produces a peace in us and glory to God!

~Curtis Carwile