Calming the Storm
In his autobiography Testament of Faith the late William Barclay tells of a radio interview on his view of Jesus' miracles. Without denying the historical accuracy of the gospel records, Barclay addressed the symbolic recurring of these miracles in contemporary life. For example, Jesus stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee; he also stills the storms that rage in human hearts today. When the interviewer asked Dr. Barclay how he came to such a view, Barclay reported:
"I told him that some years ago our twenty-one-year-old daughter and the lad to whom she would some day have been married were both drowned ... that God did not stop that accident at sea, but he did still the storm in my own heart so that somehow my wife and I came through that terrible time still on our own two feet." [London and Oxford: Mowbrays, 1975, p. 46.]
What storm rages in you and your circumstances? Take a moment to open your spirit to the miracle of God's presence, not before or after the storm but in the midst of it. Prayerfully read Luke 8:22-25. Place yourself in the scene. Consider what you would hear, see, feel. Imagine Jesus asking you with the disciples to "go across to the other side" (NRSV). Where is Jesus calling you to go? What is the "other side" for you?
Put yourself in the boat with the disciples as they are tossed about. What worries you most? What winds and waves toss you, challenge your faith, or threaten to sink you? Listen for Christ calling in the night, addressing your fears. Ponder the sound of his voice and the promise in his presence. Let Christ still the storm that rages in you. Carry Christ's words of assurance with you throughout the day.
With each daily meditation, may the God of the Bible step into the places where you live and work, and minister to you.
Stephen D. Bryant
Editor and Publisher
The Upper Room
From The Upper Room daily devotional guide, July/August 2009. Copyright © 2009 The Upper Room. All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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