Calm in the Storm
One of the most well-known stories in Jesus' life is the calming of the storm (Matthew 8:23–27, Mark 4:35–41, and Luke 8:22–25).
Think about the disciples hanging out on a boat with Jesus when a life-threatening storm erupts on the water. They’re unprepared to face it. Panicking, they realize they might die. The entire time this is happening, Jesus is sleeping peacefully.
Instead of looking at Jesus’ reaction to their situation, the disciples allowed their situation to dictate their reactions.
After begging Jesus to do something, He calms the storm … but not before asking them, “Why are you afraid?”
His gentle rebuke wasn’t because they didn’t believe Jesus could save them from the storm, but because they struggled to believe He would see them through it.
They knew Jesus was in their boat, they just didn’t understand what He was fully capable of doing.
Jesus was their strength through the storm and over the storm.
Jesus was their provider, protector, healer, and leader.
Jesus was their source of peace and power.
And the same God who was with the disciples in the boat is with us. No matter what your current storm looks like—Jesus is near. There is not a situation you have gone through that Jesus hasn’t endured beside you.
Jesus was, and is, and is to come. He was there at the beginning of time, and He will be there at the end of it. He has seen every event in human history, and He has not forsaken anyone who cries out for Him and trusts in Him.
Nothing is impossible for God, and His character never changes. He is for you, and not against you—that’s why you have nothing to fear. And that is why today, you can make Isaiah 41:13 your own personal promise:
“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Seeking Hope in the Midst of Sorrow
Lamentations is a book of sorrow, written in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction. The city lay in ruins. Grief covered the people like dust. But right in the middle of this lament, something remarkable happens: a word of hope.
"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him."
Lamentations 3:25 NIV
Jeremiah, who scholars believe is the likely author of Lamentations, writes this verse not because everything was good, but because he knew God is good, even when life is not. This kind of hope is a deliberate choice to seek God’s presence when things seem dark. It’s trusting in His character when circumstances don’t make sense.
The verse highlights two actions: hoping and seeking. Hope in God fixes our eyes forward, on what He will do. Seeking Him draws us inward into relationship with the God who is already near.
Verse 26 continues the theme: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” The Hebrew word for ...