When I was eight-years-old, my parents were the youth pastors at our church. They had booked the youth group to go to a conference called Generation Unleashed (now One Conference) at Mannahouse Church. It was early February and the roads were pretty dicey that time of year, one stretch in particular, Highway 58, was notorious for really bad winter wrecks. My little sister, Natalie, and I were able to go on the trip, since it was the first year we were trying out the conference.
Most of the trip went off without a hitch. The one memory I remember of the trip with a bunch of teenagers was of one of the young ladies eating peach baby food and trying to get her friends to try it, too.
The roads were icy coming down the mountain into Chemult, and as we came around the last corner of the pass, we suddenly hit black ice. Our van swerved and we hit the snow bank on the right side of the road, while our other van started doing donuts, hit the left guard rail and was hit by another car. My dad and one of the other leaders got out and went around the corner in the snow to try to warn other cars to slow down. By that time, there were about five cars who had been caught up in the wreckage.
As my dad was trying to flag down other drivers, he saw a gas tanker coming around the corner way too fast. There was no way he was going to be able to stop in time. And the semi was headed straight for the van where me, my sister, and my mom were trapped squished against the snow bank. There was nothing he could do but watch and pray as the gas tanker started fish-tailing right for us. He said he watched as the tanker came mere inches from hitting us, and suddenly went the other way.
He is convinced, and so am I, that angels were watching out for us that day. None of us would have survived if the tanker would have hit us. There were no casualties, thank the Lord, but we did have to nurse the vans down to Chemult, and one of the young men had to be taken to Bend for emergency surgery on his arm, which he had broken when the other van hit the guard rail.
Afterwards, our leaders and my parents tried to figure out what to do, calling parents and letting them know the situation: did we turn around and go home, or did we continue on to the conference? In the end, they felt like we were supposed to keep going and I got to watch as so many of the teenagers encountered God’s presence. I, too, will never forget that experience. God saved our lives, and while it would have been easy to give in to the fear of almost dying in a car accident, I am so glad my parents decided to keep going. Sometimes opposition comes because you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be…
Maybe You’re Exactly Where You’re Supposed to Be
Matthew 14:22-33
Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Sometimes the noise of the storm can drown out the voice of God. I find it very interesting that Pastor Jim noted something that I never saw before. It’s the Greek word used in verse 22: anagkazó. This word means to compel, constrain or command. To necessitate.
Jesus wasn’t suggesting they get in the boat, He made them get in the boat. It wasn’t an option. And since He knew all things, He knew they were going to face what was possibly one of the worst storms of their lives. Many of them, including Peter, were fishermen. They had spent their whole lives on the Sea of Galilee. And yet, they found themselves in a storm that they couldn’t out-row and couldn’t wish away. All the experience couldn’t make the storm cease.
I’m sure they were asking, “Why God? Why is this happening to us?” This brings to mind the story in John 9 where Jesus healed a blind man. Before He opened his eyes, people were asking, “Who sinned: him or his parents?”
John 9:1-7
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
There was a stigma that things happened because of sin, or that God was somehow punishing them through circumstances beyond their control. How often do we do that as well? We try to find a reason why tragedy strikes, why we have to walk through hard times. We cannot tie our difficult–even impossible–circumstances to the love of the Father.
We get the idea that we are going through trials because of disobedience or failure. The disciples were exactly where Jesus told them to be and they still found themselves in the middle of a storm. This begs the question: “Are we living in a correct viewpoint of what it means to be in a trial?”
“Just because you’re in a storm doesn’t mean you’re out of God’s will.” - Pastor Jim
Even if we don’t verbalize this sentiment, we often think of one of these two things when we start going through hard times.
1. If I’m in God's will, I shouldn’t face any opposition.
The enemy loves to use this thought process to attack what we once knew to be a mandate from God. We try to justify why we shouldn’t keep going, because if things are hard, then we must be in the wrong place. But the disciples were exactly where Jesus told them to be! They were in the middle of the storm, not because of anything they did wrong, but because God wanted to bring glory through the situation!
2. If I’m following Jesus, the wind shouldn’t be blowing against me.
Our culture loves to spout this sentiment. If you follow Jesus, you’ll never have another hard day in your life. You’ll always have enough money, your kids will never act up, and you’ll have everything you ever wanted. This prosperity-type gospel is not good news. It’s a water-down version that takes the power and grit out of the Gospel, reducing Jesus to a genie in a bottle. When we follow Jesus, we will face opposition. I would even go so far as to say that if you are not facing opposition, I would take a hard look at your life. Are you actually doing what God has asked of you? The reason we face opposition is because Satan does not want you to follow Jesus. If you’re facing “trials of many kinds”, you’re probably exactly where you’re supposed to be.
“I Will Be With You”
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat. He made them row across the water and they fought against the waves and wind for nearly nine hours before they saw Jesus coming to them on the water.
It was at their lowest moment where Jesus walked across the water to get in the boat with them. They were water-logged, exhausted, and probably thinking their lives were over.
Sometimes the safest place you can be is in a storm because Jesus will meet you there. The amazing thing is that the storm doesn’t get the final word. Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. And while we like to point out that he began to sink because of his fear of the storm, how often do we do the same? We ask, “Why is this happening?” We’re the ones who took our eyes off Jesus and started focusing on the wind and chaos around us.
Stop asking, “Why is this happening to me?”
Instead ask, “What are You trying to teach me? What are You trying to speak to me in this season?”
You’re asking God to change your circumstances, when God is using those circumstances to change you.
