“You’ll Never Walk Alone!”

When Jesus got into the boat with the disciples, the next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat, and Jesus was sound asleep. they roused Him saying, Master, save us. We are going down.” Jesus reprimanced them saying, “Why are you such cowards..such faint hearts?” Matthew 8:23-25

We are all familiar with the above scripture, and the suddenness with which the storm came up while the disciples and Jesus were crossing to the other side after addressing the multitudes. Storms can come up without notice at any time. The sun is out and all is beautiful when suddenly, the clouds appear and the storm follows.

Sometimes we feel like our lives resemble the onset of a storm. Life is cruising along. Our work is good, our health seems good, friends are good, and all seems almost perfect. We feel good about life, no cares, no worries, then out of nowhere, it hits – the most absolutely perfect storm imaginable, and this time, it’s our storm.

We didn’t ask for it, we didn’t want it, but somehow, it found us. It didn’t ask our permission, it didn’t ask if this was a good time, it just came like a guided missile with our name on it, and Boom! We’ve all been there when we find ourselves crying out to the Lord, “Ok, God, this is getting ridiculous!! Why am I being hit with this storm?”

There is a cartoon where Charlie Brown works for hours to build the most beautifully perfect sandcastle ever! Finally, he stands back and looks at it. It is wonderful! Just as he is admiring it, a person walks by and steps on it destroying his masterpiece. Now, he’s standing where his masterpiece once stood wondering, “I know there’s a lesson in this, but I’m not sure what it is.”

Everyone of us has had our own “sandcastles” stepped on and destroyed at one time or another. Every once in a while, we have to back up and say, “Why am I being hit with this storm?” No one is immune to the storms in life, they fall on the good and bad, and the just as well as the unjust.

The good news is that Jesus is in the boat with us. When God is with us during the storm He teaches us a few things. First, sometimes we have to walk alone for a while in the storm. Jesus was with the disciples, but they had to experience the storm to test their faith.

Next, we have to rely on God ‘s help when the storms come. We must live with that sense of dependence on God. Finally, we have to realize that it’s God’s power, not ours that makes the difference in weathering the storms of life.

In 1945, Rodgers and Hmmerstein released produced the broadway play, “Carousel”. The play and subsequent movie portrayed a troubled young man named Billy, and a young girl, Julie, who was devoted to him despite his flaws. The plot follows the stormy love story of the two. In the end, Billy is killed, and Julie’s Aunt Nellie comforts her with these words from the song, You’ll Never Walk Alone by Oscar Hammerstein

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high and don’t be afraid of thedark. At the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky, And the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain, Tho’ your dreams be tossed and blown, Walk on, Walk on, With hope in your heart, And you’ll never walk alone. You’ll Never Walk Alone.

There’s always a lesson in every storm. Just like the disciples in the boat, we are in training for greater things to come as well as things we will have to overcome. When we walk through a storm and question if God cares, we can unequivocably know that He cares about every detail. He is our shelter and strength, and we can fully trust Him during our storm.