Hi

It always amazes me how quickly our circumstance changes, one minute the sun burns high in our sky, the next we are sitting in the dark wondering who turned the lights out.

This happened in our house just recently. We were sitting down and relaxing after

dinner when suddenly in the space of minutes, our youngest son Jo started to complain of having headache and feeling sick. Holly my daughter who has the sweetest calmest spirit suddenly became extremely agitated and my wife complained of severe pains in her chest. In a short moment circumstance had changed.

The next day I read in a local newspaper about a wealthy and respected man who had lost his job and as a consequence lost his house and family in the space of weeks. The same happens in the poorest home and the wealthiest so it doesn’t seem to matter who we are, our position in society or the size of our income there are moments when we are left gasping at the sudden change in our life’s weather.

I like what Jesus said “Don’t you know you will go through things and there will be some trials but it will be ok because I have overcome the world for you” (John 16:33). He didn’t however say come to me and I will make those things go away and make you immune to hardship, life is life and sometimes the path through the valley is a necessary one. 

This would be a good place to pull out some wonderful old analogies like “Over time pressure turns a piece of dirty old coal into a beautiful diamond, or in my trial I looked back and could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I knew Jesus had carried me. But often in the middle of a battle someone else’s testimony although encouraging is not always what we need, because what we need as people is to feel like we are doing something, making a stand or taking some action that makes us feel like we are at least still fighting. 

So what is it we do when we find ourselves like a fish out of water gasping for life because the plug has been pulled out of our aquarium?

The first thing to do is “Don’t Panic” (sounds like a line from a well known film about galactic hitchhikers) but it’s true. When the disciples were in the boat and a fierce storm was knocking them about, they were thinking they were going to drown, but what was Jesus doing? He was peacefully sleeping in the back of the boat seemingly unconcerned about the size of the waves or the roaring wind.

There was a time when I used to read this and think “well it’s no surprise he was chilled and asleep after all he is the son of God and a bit special”. Well yes he is special but he was still a man the only difference was that there was no sin found in him and he never doubted who he was the power available to him and he never questioned the loving hand of his Father. That’s why he was peacefully sleeping in the back.

The account continues and the disciples decide to wake Jesus up (I always wonder who got the short straw?) and the first thing he says is “don’t panic what’s all the fuss about”? He then opens one eye, calms the storm and says to them “where is your faith?” don’t you know who I am, do you think I would let you drown why is your belief so little? I like to think he then goes back to sleep and leaves his disciples wondering about their lack of faith and who this guy sleeping in the back was.

But getting back to our Friday night, what did we do?

Well we didn’t fear or panic, and that’s not because we are wonderful Christians it’s simply because we trusted in God like the disciples learnt to do a bit later. We then prayed, and as priest of the house I prayed the blessing (Numbers 6) over my family rebuked what ever it was that dared to come near our household and that was it. No screaming and shouting, no warfare, no deep intercessory prayer.

All that is needed is simple prayer and simple trust, and in the same time it took for that evil to come into our house it was gone, Jo immediately recovered, my daughter regained her peace and my wife’s pain stopped.

What ever place you are in my friend, believe and trust that God is able save you, is able to keep you and will shine his countenance down upon you.

Pastor Rob