Expecting the Unexpected

Let’s face it, we don’t have life figured out…we never will. We tend to give into the seemingly sad truth that “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." As the waves of doubt and despair come crashing in, we desperately look for God in the raging storms of life. But, just like the Disciples, all we see are ghosts—we fail to see Jesus. In that instant of gripping fear, Jesus is revealing Himself as our Savior in our storms of life.

“The Lord rules over the flood waters. The Lord reigns as king forever.” Psalm 29:10 (NLT)

If you think that God has allowed your life to become a raging storm, you may be right. In fact, He may have ordered up the very storm you’re facing. In Matthew 14, it says that Jesus “made” the Disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side. Surely He knew they would face the treacherous storm. He knew alright...and He knew the miracle that was in store for them as well.

As the storm raged, Jesus came to them…walking upon the water. Yet, not one of the Disciples recognized Him; they thought He was a ghost. Not once did they stop to think that Jesus was the one who sent them on the mission in the first place and that they were at the center of His will. They failed to see that they had never left His sight. They never “expected” Jesus to be with them, or even near them in this storm, but He was and He came to them…walking upon the water. That was certainly MORE than unexpected. And what is even more shocking is that if we go back seven Chapters in Matthew, we find that Jesus had already calmed a storm for them! Didn’t they get it the first time? The difference was that in this storm Jesus wanted them to learn to trust in Him, even when they couldn’t “see” Him or recognize Him in their circumstances. He wants us to trust that He is there…in the midst of it all…and He is mighty to save.

In the never–ending struggles we face, we take things at face value. Our vision gets blurred by the overwhelming circumstances that consume us and we fail to trust God completely. We find ourselves living the truth of James 1:6, “we are like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” Then we face even further truth when we’re told that a “double-minded” man cannot think he will receive anything from the Lord.

Our storms of life are just one way that God is able to bring us to our knees before His throne. It’s a place that we should be continually. And there is one lesson that God wanted us to learn through all of this…just one—trust Him…in every storm of life. Is it really that simple? Yes, it is. He calls us to a life of walking by faith and NOT by sight. If you’re trusting in God in the midst of distress, turmoil, heartache, and pressure…you can be strengthened through His Promise of Ephesians 3:20 that He will accomplish “more than you would dare to ask or hope” and you can “expect the unexpected.”