“And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up” Mark 4:37
Some situations feel like being in a storm at sea with your boat taking on water. And when things seem out of our control, anxiety sets in. But almost nothing is actually under our control. It’s comforting to know that God is always in control. He never operates in crisis mode. So, as believers, we only enter a storm by God’s divine providence.
The storm the disciples were experiencing wasn’t because they were doing anything wrong. In fact, they were being obedient. They were in that particular boat, at that particular moment because they were following Jesus. “On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’” (v35).
If the disciples were following His instructions, why would He put them in such a frightening situation? Well, He often allows storms to either correct us or perfect us. This was a perfecting storm. (The life of Jonah illustrates a correcting storm.) Jesus was building their faith, which would be greatly needed in the days ahead. We see God’s providence in that Jesus planned to get them to the other side—not to sink them in the sea!
Divine providence is God’s faithful care and effective guidance toward His chosen end. It has more to do with knowing God and trusting that He is in control than understanding what He’s working to accomplish at the time. He knows that sometimes we learn by the flame’s light (wisdom) and at other times by its heat (experience).
Our peace gets disrupted when we resist what God is trying to accomplish in our lives. We may even extend a storm by trying to understand what’s happening instead of just trusting God. Memorize Psalm 138:8 for those moments, “The Lord will accomplish what concerns me.” He will either deliver us from the problem, or through the problem.
It’s okay to ask, “Why?” But don’t wait for an explanation before trusting the promises in Scripture. Remember, God’s providence and God’s promises are two sides of the same coin. His promises are often the path to His answers. Will you trust that God is always in control? If so, He will get you where He wants you to be; it just might not be in a straight line.