You may be reading the title of this post and thinking that maybe I forgot that it’s Christmas season. That I should be writing about family celebrations and perfect gifts. Or maybe sharing a new cookie recipe, or tips for staying healthy over the holidays. So, if you came here looking for those things, I’m sorry to disappoint. But my hope is that what I do have here will get you thinking about Christmas a little bit differently. Because I’m pretty sure we all know the Christmas story quite well, but do we really know the Savior of the Christmas story? Or do we even really care? So instead of writing about Christmas, I thought it was more necessary to write about Christ – the Savior in our storms.
While our lives here on earth can be fun and enjoyable, they are also laced with pain and suffering. Christmas is often the season where the storms of our lives can feel more pronounced than ever. We look longingly at the Christmas tree and wish the end of our suffering was wrapped up and waiting for us under it. (At least, I know I do.) For several years now, I’ve felt stuck in a health storm with no end in sight. And I’m sure many of you can also think of a hardship you’ve been dealing with, too. Maybe it’s been going on for a few days or maybe for a lifetime. Regardless of our circumstances, when the holidays roll around at the end of each year, it can be difficult to know how to handle them.
Sometimes, I find myself diving headfirst into Christmas as a sparkling distraction to mask my problems. I overspend, overeat, and overexert myself. Then January comes and I’m still miserable. Other times, I feel like fast-forwarding through the days of ugly sweaters, shopping, and holiday gatherings. I pull away from the hustle and bustle and isolate myself in silence. Then January comes and I’m still miserable. Deep down, I know that neither approach is what God wants for me (or any of us) at Christmas. In this self-centered culture, we easily make Christmas all about us and what it can do for us. And when the focus of Christmas is on ourselves, it almost always leads to disappointment and unfulfilled longing.
In actuality, Christmas should be all about a Savior called “Emmanuel,” or “God with us.” And I think that’s really good news for those of us seeking ways to make ourselves feel better during the holidays, or in any season of life. We have a Savior who willingly left His heavenly throne to be born into this world so that, even thousands of years later, He can sit with us in our storms. And He wants so much more for us than to numb our pain or hide our faces. He wants us to thrive this holiday season no matter what- whether our health is great or terrible, whether our bank accounts are full or empty, whether our relationships are strong or strained.
So, how can we thrive this Christmas? We need to truly know this Emmanuel, this Savior born in a manger long ago. And for some reason, God used a Bible passage about Jesus walking on water to reveal again to me just who He is. I felt as though the Lord was speaking to my heart about some of His incredible attributes that I tend to forget. I was also reminded why I can trust and rely on Him, even in the storms… especially in the storms. Take a moment to read Mark chapter 6, verses 45-56.
45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. ~Mark 6:45-56
Pretty amazing, right? And it’s not just a story. It’s a true, real life account. A part of history that helps us discover more about the Savior in our storms. Whether we realize it or not, we have a Savior who does the unexpected, who enters into the struggle, and who ultimately leads us to His destination. When we remember just who Jesus is and make our lives and our Christmases all about Him, we can face the holidays, or any days, with renewed hope and genuine joy.
A Savior Who Does the Unexpected
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” ~Isaiah 55:8-9
Just like the Messiah and Savior of the world came in an unexpected way, as a baby born of a virgin in an outdoor stable, so He continued to live in unexpected ways to those around Him. Even the disciples, the men who thought they knew Him best, were continually in awe of Jesus’s actions and instructions. Not to mention His miracles.
Prior to the Mark 6 passage I shared, Jesus had just finished feeding five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and fish. (You can read more about that here.) His disciples had just witnessed this amazing miracle. Yet, they were still confused about just who He was. So, when Jesus directed them to get into a boat to sail to Bethsaida and leave Him behind, I’d imagine it was a bit puzzling. They may have questioned His directive, but they obeyed and set out on the water with Jesus back on the shore. What they probably assumed would be smooth sailing to their destination actually turned into an unforgettable encounter on the sea.
While Jesus prayed alone on a mountain, His disciples made little progress on their journey by boat. And as they battled the wind and waves, I don’t imagine they believed that Jesus would show up. Yet, He did show up- in a very unexpected way. So unexpected, in fact, that instead of recognizing that it was their Lord walking on the stormy waters with ease, they cowered in fear and assumed it was a ghost. It wasn’t until He spoke to them that they realized who it was.
Before we laugh at the disciples and their silly notion about a ghost, think about how often that we, too, misjudge Jesus and the unexpected ways that He works. I have to wonder if this story is in the Bible to remind us that Jesus doesn’t play by our rules or conform to our expectations. He walked on water to show His power over the laws of gravity. He rebuked the wind and waves to show His power over nature. Prior to that, Jesus made a feast for a multitude out of mere scraps to show His power over our provisions. And when Jesus finally landed on shore, He healed incurable diseases to show His power over sickness and death. What awesome reminders that though He was in a human body, Jesus was also Lord of all creation and could do the impossible.
This same Jesus is with us today. Maybe we can’t physically see Him walk on water, or feed five thousand, or lay His hands on the sick and diseased. And maybe we don’t expect Him to answer our prayers or perform miracles at all. But don’t for a moment think that it’s not still possible. Jesus is a Savior who does the unexpected and though we can’t always see Him working in our lives doesn’t mean that He isn’t working at all.
As the verse from Isaiah says above, “His ways are higher than our ways.” We can’t always understand His ways from our finite point of view, but we can be certain that they are with purpose. And that purpose is for our ultimate good. So, when we reach the end of our rope or hit rock bottom or see no way out, we don’t need to fear. Let’s remember Jesus’s words to His disciples: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus will enter into our lives and struggles right alongside us, just as He did with His disciples on that stormy night long ago.
A Savior Who Enters into the Struggle
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me… ~Psalm 23:4
In my opinion, one of the biggest takeaways of who Jesus is centers on the struggle. Jesus sent His disciples directly into a struggle on the sea. He knew they would strain at the oars and exhaust themselves. And to the disciples, it probably felt like their Lord forgot about them. But in reality, Jesus never let them out of His sight or care. And instead of handling their troubles from afar, He came to them.
You see, Jesus could have left the disciples to their own devices and continued in prayer. Or, He could have calmed the wind from the mountaintop and let them finish the voyage without Him. He even could have easily passed by them on the water when they confused Him for a ghost. But, no. Jesus entered directly into their struggle and climbed into their boat. And with their Savior on board, the disciples’ fears were calmed and they finished their journey with ease.
Why did Jesus allow the struggle in the first place? We can’t always understand His ways, but one reason might have been so that He could show His compassion and great love for His disciples. To show that He cared about them when they were in trouble. To show that He loved them even when they mistook Him for a ghost or hardened their hearts against his miracles. And I think Jesus still wants to show us these things. Because even thousands of years ago, Jesus knew that we would be reading about this account throughout history. He knew that I would be writing about it today. And He knew we would need constant reminders that He is a good, loving God who won’t leave us to flounder and fight by ourselves.
When we’re in the thick of the struggle, it’s easy to shake our fists and shout in anger at God for allowing the pain and suffering in our lives. But it’s often in the struggle that we really get to know Him better. Had the disciples not been out on the water struggling against the wind, they would not have seen their Savior do the impossible and walk on water. They would have missed His compassionate rescue to get into their boat. They also wouldn’t have witnessed another miracle of Him calming the storm and taking them to shore.
Are you in a struggle right now and wondering why on earth God would allow it? If so, you’re in good company. And it’s okay for us to cry out and express our anger, frustration, and fears to Him. The disciples cried out and so can we. But instead of being consumed by the struggle, let’s focus on the Savior. He may not lessen the pain or change our circumstances, but just acknowledging that He’s with us will make our load a little lighter and soften our weary, hardened hearts. Let’s remind ourselves that Jesus doesn’t comfortably sit on His heavenly throne while we suffer in this life. Nor does He ignore us in anger when we sin against Him. No, He is present and active with us every single time we’re in trouble or afraid, whether we’re willing to trust Him or not.
The Christmas story is the perfect illustration of God coming to us right where we are. He allowed Himself to be born into a sinful, broken world of people that needed both His power and compassion in order to be saved. He regularly showed His disciples His power through unexpected miracles and His compassion through helping them in their struggles. And He continues to pour out His power and compassion on us in this present day and age. So, we must never give up, no matter how hard this life gets. With the knowledge that Jesus is in our “boat”, we can keep rowing against our struggles just as the disciples did on that stormy night, knowing that He will lead the way through them.
A Savior Who Leads Us to His Destination
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” ~Proverbs 16:9
You might be wondering why I wrote that Jesus leads us to “HIS” destination and not “OUR” destination. Well, we already learned that He works in unexpected ways, right? And that includes the plans we make for our lives. Plans that we sometimes cling to a bit too tightly.
Did you notice that at the beginning of the story in Mark, Jesus’s disciples were instructed to set sail to Bethsaida? However, after Jesus entered into their boat and calmed the wind, He guided them safely to Gennesaret, a different town entirely. Maybe it seemed like a misstep in the disciples’ minds or maybe they were still so shocked from Jesus walking on water that they didn’t think twice about being in a different location. Regardless, Jesus used this storm to alter the disciples’ path across the Sea of Galilee and lead them to a new destination they hadn’t anticipated. A destination where He performed countless miracles on people who desperately needed Him.
How much this parallels our own lives! By nature, we like to plan out our days and direct ourselves to the destinations we desire. But God often has very different destinations in mind. For example, my own plans by age 35 were to have two kids, a stable home, a healthy body, maybe a part-time job, and the occasional vacation. (The “American Dream” as we often call it.) I expected my 30s to be smooth sailing. In reality, I had a miscarriage, contracted Lyme and autoimmune diseases, am still house-hunting after two moves this summer, and can’t have a family, a job, or even travel because of my unstable health. My 30s have actually been a tumultuous storm.
Was this anywhere close to the plan I had for my life? Definitely not. But after reading the story in Mark of how Jesus used the storm to lead to a destination where miracles occurred, I can be hopeful that He can still make something good out of my messy life. And He will. I just need to surrender my plans, desires, and dreams to Him.
Easier said than done, I know. To be clear though, I don’t think Jesus expects or even wants us to stop planning. Having hopes, dreams, or goals isn’t a bad idea. The plan I had for my life wasn’t a bad one. It just wasn’t what God had in mind for me. I think we just need to remember that His plans are always best. The verse above in Proverbs acknowledges that “humans plan their course.” But I think we have to pay more attention to the second part of this verse, the part where the Lord establishes our steps.
God’s plan for our lives is completely perfect – pain and all – because He can use anything and everything we face for His glory and our good. I don’t say that with ease. And sometimes I struggle to say it at all. I wish Jesus would rescue me from my diseases and give me everything my heart desires right now. His silence and unanswered prayers often frustrate me. However, I know His character- that He does the unexpected, meets me in my struggle, and is guiding me to a destination of His choosing. A destination that was chosen before I was even born. And because God is for me and not against me, I have to decide to trust Him and surrender my will to Him.
Sometimes we get so caught up in where we want our lives to go that we totally miss how Jesus is at work in them right here, right now. The storm the disciples went through was with purpose. It may have made them better sailors. It may have reminded them that Jesus was in control. It may also have taught them more about the power and compassion of their Lord. And it may have softened their hearts and made them very aware that this Jesus they followed was actually their long-awaited Savior.
So, can we let Jesus use our storms to make us stronger sailors in this life? Can we surrender our need for control and let Him lead us? And can we be on the lookout for His power and compassion throughout our journey? I pray that we can, even if it takes every fiber of faith that we have left in us.
The Savior in Our Storms
Since this isn’t a traditional Christmas post, I’ll leave you with a song that isn’t a Christmas carol. It’s called “Another in the Fire” and was inspired by the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were thrown into a fiery furnace for staying faithful to God. And the Lord not only miraculously saved them from death, but He entered into the fire with them. Although these lyrics weren’t written for the Christmas season, they fit so perfectly with the Christmas story and with the attributes of Christ that I shared about today. God Himself became flesh and lived among us, walked with us, taught us, died to save us, and rose again to be with us still. We don’t have to face our storms alone because He is Emmanuel, God with us.
Another in the Fire by Hillsong United
There’s a grace when the heart is under fire
Another way when the walls are closing in
And when I look at the space between
Where I used to be and this reckoning
I know I will never be alone
There was another in the fire
Standing next to me
There was another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
Of how I’ve been set free
There is a cross that bears the burden
Where another died for me
All my debt left for dead beneath the waters
I’m no longer a slave to my sin anymore
And should I fall in the space between
What remains of me and this reckoning
Either way I won’t bow
To the things of this world
And I know I will never be alone
There is another in the fire
Standing next to me
There is another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
What power set me free
There is a grave that holds no body
And now that power lives in me
And I can see the light in the darkness
As the darkness bows to Him
I can hear the roar in the heavens
As the space between wears thin
I can feel the ground shake beneath us
As the prison walls cave in
Nothing stands between us
Nothing stands between us
There is no other name
But the Name that is Jesus
He who was and still is
And will be through it all
So come what may in the space between
All the things unseen and this reckoning
I know I will never be alone
There’ll be another in the fire
Standing next to me
There’ll be another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
How good You’ve been to me
I’ll count the joy come every battle
‘Cause I know that’s where You’ll be
Notice how the chorus changes tenses slightly. He was in the storm. He is in the storm. He will be in the storm. Just as Jesus joined Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego in a fiery furnace and just as he joined his disciples in the deep waters, so he joins you and me in our battles – the ones we fight today and the ones that are still to come. No matter the size or duration of our storms, we can take comfort that Jesus is in them with us, too.
This Christmas, may we desire our Savior above all else because of who He is and what He’s already done for us. Let’s put our self-centered tendencies aside and reach out to the One who is waiting to climb into our boats. And as we prepare for a new year ahead, may our resolutions be to know and trust the Savior in our storms more than ever before. A Savior who is capable of doing the unexpected and even the impossible. A Savior who enters into the struggle with us to strengthen us and help us. A Savior who calmly guides us to His purposeful destination, even if it’s not what we initially had in mind.
For it is only through this Savior that we can find the real peace, joy, stability, and fulfillment that we need in order to thrive in this Christmas season and for the rest of our lives. So, no matter where we are our life and faith journeys, I pray that we can all experience our wonderful Savior in new, blessed ways this Christmas and in the New Year ahead.
Thank you for this reminder. Exactly what I needed today. Merry Christmas!
Aw thank you, Breanna! So honored to hear that! Merry Christmas to you, too! ♥️
Thanks for your encouraging Christ-centered post! Always a blessing to read how you are faithful to Christ despite the storms of this life!
Thank you so much, Amy! So glad it was encouraging to you! It can be so hard to stay faithful when life hurts, but God is gracious in always bringing me back to Him. 💕
Loved the poem “Another in the Fire.” We all find it hard to keep the faith when we are drownding in the sea of grief but God did not sanction death, the devil brought it into our lives. But we have to remember that death will be the last thing God will do away with after he destroys satan, the beast and the false prophet. Can’t wait to see my loved ones that have passed. Most of all Jesus because on this side of the cross we see through the glass darkly but when we meet Jesus, all of our questions will be answered.
Thanks for sharing, Linda! I’m definitely looking forward to meeting Jesus, too. ❤️