THEY'D DO IT AGAIN. I'm confident they would. The disciples would
get into the same boat and ride through the same storm. They'd
do it again in a heartbeat. Why?
Because
through the storm they saw the Savior. Read this verse: "Then
those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, 'Truly you are
the Son of God." (Matthew 14:33)
After
the storm, they worshiped him. They had never, as a group, done
that before. Never. Check it out. Open your Bible. Search for
a time when the disciples corporately praised him.
You
won't find it.
You
won't find them worshiping when he heals the leper. Forgives the
adulteress. Preaches to the masses. They were willing to follow.
Willing to leave family. Willing to cast out demons. Willing to
be in the army. But only after the incident on the sea did they
worship. Why?
Simple.
This time, they were the ones who were saved. This time, their
necks were removed from the noose. Their bodies were plucked from
the deep. One minute, they were dangling over the edge of the
abyss, staring into the throat the slack-jawed canyon. The next,
they were bottom-plopped and wide-eyed on the deck of a still
boat on a placid sea.
So
they worshiped. They did the only thing that they could do when
their death sentence was stayed at the eleventh hour: They looked
to the Eternal Governor who gave the pardon and thanked him.
-------------------------------------------------------------
When
you recognize God as Creator, you will admire him. When you recognize
his wisdom, you will learn from him. When you discover his strength,
you will rely on him. But only when he saves you will you worship
him.
It's
a "before and after" scenario. Before your rescue, you
could easily keep God at a distance. Comfortably dismissed. Neatly
shelved. Sure he was important, but so was your career. Your status.
Your salary. He was high on your priority list, but he shared
the spot with others.
Then
came the storm..... the rage ....the fight ..... the ripped moorings.....
the starless night. Despair fell like a fog; your bearings were
gone. In your heart, you knew there was no exit.
Turn
to your career for help? Only if you want to hide from the storm
. . . . not escape it. Lean on your status for strength? A storm
isn't impressed with your title. Rely on your salary for rescue?
Many try . . . many fail.
Suddenly
you are left with one option: God.
And
when you ask . . . genuinely ask . . . he will come.
And
from that moment on, he is not just a deity to admire, a teacher
to observe, or a master to obey. He is the Savior. The Savior
to be worshiped. That's why I'm convinced that the disciples would
do it again. They'd endure the storm another night . . . a thousand
other nights . . . if that's what it took.
A
season of suffering is a small price to pay for a clear view of
God.
From
"In the eye of the storm" by Max Lucado.
Copyright
© 1991 by Max Lucado.
Published
by Word Publishing.
Used
by permission.
