Finding Jesus

Where do we find Jesus? There are many who will say that we find Jesus in the beauty of a sunset or the innocence of a child. We find Jesus in the joy of a loving family and in the peacefulness of a gentle glade. We find Jesus in our service to others and in the worship songs that we sing. We find Jesus in the peace in our souls and in the beauty of the life around us.

Yet, Jesus is often most felt in the storms of life. It is during those times when our fears arise and turmoils threaten to overwhelm us that Jesus is the nearest. When we reach out and call His name, not out of fear, but with hope and faith in who He is, do we find that our faith is justified. It is then that our courage is strengthened and our resolve is made real.

We can read a story where fears overtook their faith in Mark 4:35-41. It is a story where Jesus was there with them, yet their faith in His protection dwindled away. The story goes like this, “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

The truth is that Jesus is always nearest in the storms of our life. He is always there, waiting for us to call out His name. This is not to say that He will calm every storm, but He will strengthen us and guide us to make it through to the other side. He will ensure that we make the journey safely, perhaps with a few bumps and bruises along the way. Although we may be battered, we will be all the wiser and all the stronger for making it a journey of faith and not one of fear.

Let us pray for the faith to make it through every storm of life. To lean on Jesus with the knowledge that He will guide us and give us the courage to make it through the storm.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us in our efforts to draw closer to our Lord, and that we will never forget the words of Jesus who said that He would never leave us nor forsake us.

The storms of life will always come our way, then eventually they dissipate and go away. Some storms are brief while others seem to last a long time. Yet we need to remember that every storm ends. Though we may need to endure the tossing and turning that a storm may bring, let us endure it with the knowledge and faith that Jesus is right there with us, guiding us and helping us make it through to the other side.