Storms happen to all of us.

Storms surprise us; storms sideswipe us in life.

Many times we fall onto our couch and think, “I did not see that coming.”

The funny thing about storms is that you can see them coming into someone else’s life better than you see them in your life.

Have you ever had someone tell you they didn’t see something coming, and you thought, “How could you miss it?” We all saw your marriage going that way, we told you. We noticed that financial decision was a poor one a mile away.

A storm is when you feel helpless. Life feels chaotic; you have this “I did not see that coming” feeling afterward.

Some storms are out of our control: like getting laid off; when you were abused; or can’t have a baby. Things like when cancer comes back; when your kids walk away from their faith; you have a miscarriage; or you are depressed and can’t see a way forward.

But some storms we cause: how you respond to things in your life; who you let into your life; and who you allow to influence your life.

Our marriage is another area we have some control over. We don’t want to admit it, but our choices earlier in life had a more significant effect on our marriage than we expected. We didn’t expect that sleeping around in our 20’s would affect us in our 30’s. Or that we would still feel those financial decisions ten years later.

Or the resentment and bitterness we carry around from past relationships and hurts.

Many of us wonder where God is when we get stuck in a storm in life.

A fascinating passage in Mark 6 shows us something important about God and storms.

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain to pray. Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.

What is fascinating to me is that Jesus intended to pass by them. He didn’t plan on stopping.

But isn’t Jesus supposed to save them? To pull them from the storm? Stop it? Bring relief?

Sometimes Jesus stops the storm. Sometimes he pulls us from it and brings relief. And sometimes, he passes by.

This might seem like Jesus is leaving them (or us), but that is far from it.

Dave Furman, in his book Kiss the Wave: Embracing God in Your Trials, said, The better question isn’t whether or not Jesus wanted to help his disciples, of course, he did, but the question is, how did he want to help them.

In 1 Kings, when God showed himself to Elijah, He passed by him.

In the book of Exodus, God showed Moses his power and presence by passing by him.

Jesus is showing them and us he is God by passing by them.

Here’s how I’ve seen this play out in my life: when someone else gets my answered prayer. Has that ever happened to you? You pray for your marriage, but it seems like other people’s marriage improves. You pray for your finances, and others get blessed. Same as you pray for your kids and others seem to get ahead. You pray for your career, and a co-worker gets promoted and a raise.

God is more visibly at work in someone else’s life. Therefore, God has more visibly blessed them with a comfortable life than our lives.

Sometimes God will move in lives near us to show us He can. Not to taunt us or diminish our faith, but to strengthen it.

In her book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered, Lysa Terkeurst shares this prayer, and if you find yourself in a storm and finding it difficult to trust God and cling to him, I pray this prayer helps you:

Oh, dear God, help me trust You beyond what my physical eyes can see. As the winds of all that’s uncontrollable whip around me and thrash against me, I need something to ground me. Steady me. Hold me together when circumstances are falling apart. I want to trust you beyond what my eyes can see. Amen.