Wind, Rain, Storms and the Crowd

           “Do not be afraid...You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good…” - Genesis 50:20

             “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” - Matthew 14:27

  Some of you might remember the late Erma Bombeck and her writings. Bombeck was a graduate of the University of Dayton. She was a wife and mom from the Midwest, who chronicled the day to day adventures of the average mom raising a family. When I was young, my mother used to read her weekly column in the local newspaper without fail. A few of her bestselling books were titled as follows: “IF Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?” and “Life is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank.

   What is it that captures the imaginations of people through the stories of the ambiguity and confusion of life? Here are two situations from scripture, one from the Old Testament and the other from the New, where things do not go according to plan. Chronologically, let’s start with the Old Testament account of one of my favorite characters, Joseph.  His brothers feared that he would retaliate for all they had done to him and so fell at his feet begging forgiveness. His reply is “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

  We all know Joseph’s story; he went through many trials. Do you remember what we said about the early Reformers in teaching about these dark situations? These moments were called “The Dark Providence of God.” Why do they happen? Where is God in these situations? Is it all part of God’s plan?   

  The notion of getting knocked down so many times, you come to a point where you have to decide what you believe and in whom you believe. You have a choice - trust God and keep trying, or give up and nurse your anger, fear, alienation and walk away from God.

  If we read about the life and triumph of Joseph, there is no hint of discouragement in the text. We must understand and consider this point very carefully. Were there nights of tears, doubts and uncertainty on the part of Joseph? The answer is: Of Course! But he is not recorded as becoming a person who is on the verge of despair, absolutely not! Why? What was his reason?

  What we learn from the history of Joseph and see in the New Testament account of Jesus walking on water during a storm, are the lessons for all believers to recognize in all aspects of life, particularly the difficulties, are part of God’s Providence. Understanding the “why” may be beyond our immediate comprehension; it may be part of God’s secret will, but we have the assurance that God’s Providence always agrees with and supplements God’s Word.

  In the New Testament, we see a weary group wanting to get away from the crowd, only to have to stop and feed them with only five loaves and two fishes. Then when they finally do get away, we see the seasoned fishermen fighting to keep the boat upright and moving in a storm. Traversing only three miles in ten hours was a serious problem. Then Jesus appears, walking on the water. Why didn’t he rescue them at the first sign of danger? What lessons do we draw? “I am with you to the end of the age” is the faith based lesson from Matthew 28:20. The command “Do not be afraid” appears seven times in the gospel of Matthew. Understand that most of us will not see Jesus literally walking on water to save us, but he does literally walk into our lives via scripture.

What is the common thread? Like the account of Joseph, Jesus does not rescue these people in the gospel immediately. Why? Can we pinpoint the reason things don’t go as we expect? Maybe not, but we know that we can trust Him in those moments for he has promised good, no matter how severe the storm is.

  Mark’s account about the disciples failing to see the meaning of the loaves and fishes feeding thousands is meant to instill confidence rather than fear. In it, the character of God is shown: compassionate, loving and a powerful deliverer. Joseph goes on from his trials to be Prime Minister of Egypt, saving the known world from a famine, a typology of Christ. The disciples will go onto be the first Christian missionaries for Christ.

  What about you? In the midst of storms, trials and the push of the crowd, what do you put your faith in? Learn and remember this lesson of Providence:

                       I Am With You!

                                    Do Not Be Afraid!

                                               Take Courage!

                            Be prepared for the provision promised to us by God.

                                              Yours in Christ,

                                               Pastor Harry