In My Boat: Trusting God in the Midst of the Storm Sample

The Storm and Your Heart

When playing a video game, you set the game from difficult to easy mode, depending on your level of expertise. Anyone can play a game set in easy mode where true skill has not been tested. When the difficulty mode is set at ‘Professional’, then you begin to separate those who are really good from those who just know the basics.

Like the disciples, many times we do not recognize God for who He is until circumstances require us to lean on Him. In being forced to face situations that only God can handle, many of us finally find Him. Facing a storm forces us to undergo a heart transformation.

I often ask myself, “Why does God want us to rely on Him?” The answer is simple: “Without God, you are nothing and you can do nothing, but with Him, all things are possible.”

Let me put this in context. The real battle of our lives is not a popularity battle. Neither is it about the first person to reach 10,000 followers on a social media platform, nor is it about the first to get married, or the first to win a Grammy or the most Oscars. It is equally not about the first to earn a million dollar-battle. All this is nice but far from the real fight; those things can be done without God.

The Bible says: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Our real wars are spiritual. Even though we have built fast cars, faster planes, mega cities, super-efficient drugs, there is still so much pain, hunger, suffering, depression, injustice and blindness in our world. This tells you that all the intellect of all the smart people is not enough to deal with the most basic issues that the human race faces. These battles are not physical.

The battles God is preparing us for cannot be won with intellect and smarts, or charm and creativity. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he says: The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

The storm you are in the midst of today may be to teach you or remind you of who is actually in your boat—not a magician, not a cool prophet, not a very wise man. In your boat you carry the Spirit of the Most High God. On Day 7 of this devotional I said, “The question is never, are you in a storm?“ Jesus already said in this life you will have many troubles, so no surprises there but the real question, as you navigate through these storms is, “Who in your boat?“ Jesus says, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” This is who you have in your boat. This is His identity: Savior, Redeemer, and Overcomer.

You may be facing a storm that will reveal Jesus to you. Please say this prayer with me:

Dear Jesus,

As I go through this storm, I want to see You. I want to experience You first-hand as my Redeemer, my Savior and my Overcomer.

Amen.