When Oceans Rise

When I was in college, I did an internship in Washington D.C. At the time, our country was at a turning point politically, the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan had become widely unpopular, many people had grown tired of the Bush Administration (to say it politely), and there was desire for change. As a young aspiring journalist, it was exactly where I wanted to be. I was fortunate enough to have an internship at The Hill, a publication that primarily covers news surrounding Capitol Hill. I met so many politicians and interviewed some heavy hitters on both sides of the aisle. I even sat in congressional hearings and learned about the issues and challenges our leaders faced on a regular basis. I can remember interviewing a young Congressman after a Foreign Affairs hearing on Pakistan and at one point he just shook his head and said, “There are just so many challenges we face, and we try our best, but there is so much at stake.” I remember thinking after that interview, how overwhelming it must be to bear the weight of a nation on the decisions that they make.

In thinking about the challenges, we as Christians face in 2021, we can often echo the same sentiment as that young Congressman. We can shake our heads and say, “There is just too much at stake, too many challenges against us.” How are we to respond to the times that we are in? Where do we turn when the world is seemingly upside down?

 King David experienced this.  He writes about feeling surrounded in Psalm 57. He says in verse 4, I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. In the midst of lions whose tongues are like sharp swords, Whoa! Sounds almost like scrolling through my social media feed. Everyone has an opinion and they want it heard, yet if you disagree with them, watch out! They come at you like lions. There is censorship, political angst, right, left, black, white. All these agendas swirling around, a storm to any believer who is trying to walk the narrow path.

Storms. Jesus calms storms, doesn’t He? In Mark Chapter 4, we see the disciples literally caught in a storm at sea, fighting for their lives. Blinded by darkness, being pounded by strong winds and waves, surely, they were terrified and rightfully so. But where was Jesus? Sound asleep. With one command, He told the waves and wind to Be Still and the storm ended. The disciples were blown away. “Who is this Guy?” they asked. “Even the wind and waves obey him?” (Mark 4: 41).

Jesus is the one who can calm the storms in our lives. In fact, He calls us to trust Him even in the uncertainty. Time and time again in the bible we see how God asked His people to trust Him. Noah had to trust Him in order to build the ark. David had to trust Him while on the run from King Saul. Ruth had to trust Him to redeem her and her mother-in-law Naomi. God often calls us out into unfavorable circumstances so that our dependence is NOT on our own understanding, but so that we cling to Him in the midst of our trials.

The trust is that we know who holds our tomorrow. We know who commands not only the winds and waves, but angel armies concerning us (Psalm 91-11). Jesus does not stutter, He meant what He said and He is going to keep His promise to those He loves. The challenges we face may be overwhelming, but be encouraged, we know who wins in the end.