“That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!”
–John 6:16-21 (NLT)

We all have hard times in our lives. Some of these troubles are relatively minor, and we can overcome them easily. But what about the really big storms? What about lost jobs, depression, serious illness, or grief caused by a death in the family? We all have people on Earth whom we turn to for comfort, but their consolation and advice can only take us so far. God is always here to give us His never-ending peace, and guide us out of danger.

Jesus’ disciples found this out one evening. Their lord and teacher had just fed over 5,000 people, which was a great miracle in itself. Now He was in the hills, praying and communing with God.
Jesus’ disciples waited for their teacher all evening, but He didn’t come. That night, they decided to take a boat across the lake to find Him. But, as you’ll read in our opening scripture, they rode into a storm which made the journey very difficult. After traveling all night, they had only made a few miles’ progress.

As dawn broke Jesus finally appeared, walking on the water. His disciples couldn’t see Him very well through all the rough waves and mist, so they were scared out of their wits at first. Who could this be, walking on the water as though it were a solid and quiet street? To calm their fears, Jesus called out to them and reassured them that He had arrived.

Once they let Him into their boat, He accomplished in seconds what the disciples couldn’t do alone, even after they had been trying all night. In a scene worthy of Star Trek, Jesus instantly transported them to their destination. Thanks to the son of God, the disciples were on dry land at last.

When storms arise in our lives (and they’re guaranteed to come, whether we like it or not), we can respond in one of two ways. We can try to overcome our fears and difficulties on our own, or with our earthly friends’ help. We certainly can endure tough times in this manner, but it’ll be a long and grueling uphill climb.

On the other hand, we can turn to God and ask for His comfort, guidance and wisdom. Unfortunately God chooses not to solve all of our problems in an instant, but once we let Him into our situations or we pray on the behalf of others, He will always be with us to make the road lighter and easier to cross.
Today I challenge you to start trusting in God when your seas become stormy, instead of leaning on your own strength. If you haven’t already dedicated yourself to God, I pray that you will study His word and then ask Him to enter your life. Then, when life becomes too rough for you to handle, God will be ready and willing to guide you through the storm and back to dry land.

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