The Journey

Mark 4:35

That day when the evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”

Since I turned back to God 7 years ago God has taken me on a great journey!  There have been many times He has changed my direction as He navigates me and my family through the life and the plans He has for us.  Every time He has called us to set out on a new direction it has required us to “get in the boat” and to put our faith in Him.  When Jesus calls us to a new direction there is excited expectation but you can be certain there will be trials as you “journey to the other side.”  These trials are what better prepare us for the next level!

We have the option to respond to the trials in two ways.  Like Jesus, covered in peace while trusting in faith or like the disciples, consumed with fear and doubt!

Mark 4:38

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.  The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

Jesus had invited them to go with Him across the lake but they lost faith when the storm came up.  Jesus didn’t tell them that they would attempt to cross the lake, He invited them to cross it, and because He is God we know that if He says something is going to happen we can rest assured He will see it into completion!  When we are called to journey with God on a new direction we have to remember that He is in the boat with us and He will make a way for us.  This “storm” is an opportunity to have our faith deepened.  The “storm” is not unknown to God and can only be calmed by God, we have no power to control our situation but we do have the power to control our response to what is happening.  Do we let fear overtake us or do we rest in the peace that comes through faith…

The storm is an opportunity to take hold of our faith and really experience how strong or weak it is.  It reveals to us where we need to grow.  How we talk during the storm is determined by our attitude.  Do we speak of promises made and yet to come or only talk of what we see as the storm rages on?  Our attitude shapes our heart and out of the mouth speaks the heart.  Attitude is just as important as our actions.  Faith behind our choices and motivation behind our actions are all seen by God!  Do we simply speak of faith but fail at faith when we are tested?  The destination that God has promised is on the other side of the trial, and how we walk through the trial prepares us for the next level of service.  Only by being tested can we grow stronger.

Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Our faith is strengthened when we believe without a doubt what God has promised will come to pass.  We do this by acknowledging the very nature of God, He does not lie!  We also draw strength from remembering all of the promises He has kept in the past.  We have no reason to doubt God and yet we often do!  No one, except God, can be trusted without fail to keep their word.  God can not and does not lie to us!  What He promises He delivers, what He tells us is truth.  It is easy to have faith in the good times, but when the storms in our life start to rage we need to remember all of the ways He has faithfully provided!

James 3:10

And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.  Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

Do we speak of faith when things are good but speak doubt when trouble finds us.  Faith built on a foundation of circumstances will be weak and easily shaken, but faith built on the promises of God will face the storm and not be moved!  We need to set our eyes on Jesus and get in the boat.  The journey may be filled with rough seas but if God has promised to take you to the other side you can be sure you will arrive!