At least four of Jesus’ disciples were professional fishermen who had spent innumerable hours on the sea of Galilee and had weathered the worst of storms.  Until THAT storm, that is.  You can read about it in Matthew 14:22-33.

Had those disciples embarked on such a trip in our day, they probably would have asked others to pray for them to have “traveling mercies” and for God to keep them “safe.”  The Scripture, however, tells us that Jesus made the disciples get in the boat and go out on the lake ahead of Him.  Jesus sent them onto a lake on which He knew a storm would brew.  He was not giving them traveling mercies and keeping them safe.  

Imagine what they would have missed had Jesus kept them from the storm.  Think about Peter – Peter would have missed the rush of defying the laws of physics and taking a few steps ON TOP of the water.

We tend to ridicule Peter for taking his eyes off of Jesus and sinking.  We deem him rash and irresponsible for thinking for a moment he could walk on water.  But who has taken more steps on top of the water, you or Peter?  He would have missed that experience had Jesus allowed the disciples to avoid storms and stay safe.

Sometimes the purposes of God are better served by rescuing us THROUGH the storms of life rather than FROM those storms.  I have recently experienced some stormy circumstances in my life and I can attest to the fact that I learned things about God and about myself that I would never have learned during safe, happy circumstances.

Don’t be so quick to loathe a storm in your life.  That storm may be God’s tool for leading you to a risky faith that moves you out of the boat of your comfort zone and compels you to come to Him even through the wind, lightening, and dangerously deep circumstances of your storm.  Do what the disciples learned to do.  In your storm, look for Jesus to come to you and to bid you to come to Him.