BEFORE THE STORM COMES
There was an old Victorian portrait depicting the storm of the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. In the picture, the artist masterfully painted the biblical situation in grand detail. He captured the robust waves crashing into the ship. He intricately showed the fear on the disciples faces. He darkened the canvas with deep grays and blues to illustrate the tenacity of the skies. As intricate as the portrait was, however, there was no immediate sign of Jesus.
Deep within the portrait was a small figure of a man atop a mountain, kneeling in prayer. Instead of showing Christ walking on the water during the midst of the storm, the artist chose to depict Christ praying on the mountain at the beginning of the storm.
Isn’t it a comforting thought to know that Christ not only comes to us in our storms, but He intercedes for us before the storm begins. I assure you of this: Jesus has the power to find you in the “fourth watch of the night” while you are encountering the highest waves, but long before you get to that point, He has been praying for you, interceding to His Father on your behalf. Jesus not only has the power to calm the storm, He has the prayers to calm you!
There was an old Victorian portrait depicting the storm of the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. In the picture, the artist masterfully painted the biblical situation in grand detail. He captured the robust waves crashing into the ship. He intricately showed the fear on the disciples faces. He darkened the canvas with deep grays and blues to illustrate the tenacity of the skies. As intricate as the portrait was, however, there was no immediate sign of Jesus.
Deep within the portrait was a small figure of a man atop a mountain, kneeling in prayer. Instead of showing Christ walking on the water during the midst of the storm, the artist chose to depict Christ praying on the mountain at the beginning of the storm.
Isn’t it a comforting thought to know that Christ not only comes to us in our storms, but He intercedes for us before the storm begins. I assure you of this: Jesus has the power to find you in the “fourth watch of the night” while you are encountering the highest waves, but long before you get to that point, He has been praying for you, interceding to His Father on your behalf. Jesus not only has the power to calm the storm, He has the prayers to calm you!