Go Beyond

   In 1999 I met with a small group of Muslim-background believers in South Asia. I asked each of the men in my group to share with me how they had come to faith in Christ. The first to do so shared how his conversion had ignited a storm of persecution. He showed me the scars on his body as he described how the people of his village had physically abused him. The second man said that he had witnessed the persecution the first man had endured. In spite of what he had witnessed, he placed his faith in Christ. I asked him to explain why he had done so, knowing that he too would experience the same persecution. He said that he had been convicted by the peace the first man had displayed in the midst of the storm. He concluded that something that inspires a man to face the possibility of death with such confidence and peace was something worth believing.

   In John 14:1, Jesus urged Peter and the other disciples to stop being troubled — a word used to describe an ocean caught in the teeth of a storm. Storms have a way of tearing our confidence to shreds and leaving us fearfully clinging to any scrap of hope that can keep us afloat. The disciples were troubled because Jesus had announced that one of them would betray Him (13:21), that He was going to leave them (13:33), and that Peter would deny Him (13:38). Jesus knew that within hours the disciples would experience the full fury of the storm of betrayal, denial, and departure. Jesus therefore urged them to trust in God and also in Him and promised to give His disciples His peace (John 14:27).

   What about you? Are you caught in the teeth of a storm? Is something threatening to tear your world apart? Jesus does not guarantee the absence of trouble. However, he does invite us to anchor our confidence in Him and, by so doing, experience His peace in the midst of life’s storms. Putting our confidence in Jesus is the best antidote to the worry and anxiety that can tear us apart. And, it shows a doubting world the difference that Jesus can make in our lives.

   Sooner or later, you will find yourself caught in the teeth of a storm. Don’t let the waves and the winds sink your boat. Remember that you can face each storm with unshakeable confidence and peace if you will trust the captain (Jesus is always available to help us navigate through the storms), follow the charts (God’s Word gives us the guidance we need to navigate troubled waters), use the radio (stay in close communication with God), and look ahead (Jesus promised that a better place awaits us at the end of the voyage).

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