Where Was God When I Needed 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!'" Mark 4: 37-41

    When watching a movie, have you noticed the use of rainy weather to demonstrate a sadness experienced by the characters? We've come to associate rain with sadness to some degree. I recall hearing folks express the irony of the blue-sky sunny day that presided over the fatal Tuesday now known as 9/11. The magnanimous tragedy was incongruous with such a beautiful day.

    Last night, it felt like a "furious squall" such as the disciples experienced had broken over our home when high winds pitched the trees and lightning lit the night skies. I arose to watch the power of God on display while I prayed verses from memory for protection during the storm. Fierce storms have a way of putting things into perspective, don't they?

    The metaphorical storms of life can descend upon us in various ways. The sudden death of a sibling or a dire diagnosis resemble a squall of intensity, whereas a slow erosion of a marriage is like a tropical rainy season, but any can leave us feeling swamped. We may wonder where God is in all this? Does He not care if we drown in our circumstances?

    Just as Jesus was asleep on a cushion amid the maritime travail, He is in the middle of our struggle as well. The phrase from the above passage that refreshes me is, "He.. said to the waves." Whatever is breaking over the sides of my boat is subject to the Sovereign One who created it. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18); He is even Victor over the grave (Hosea 13:14). 

    These words from a song my pastor sings came to mind:

    So why should I worry, why should I fear

When the very same Jesus is always near?

He lives in my heart and hears when I cry;

I'll call on His name when the storm passes by.

"Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!" Proverbs 30:4