In His Time

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Mark 4:39

Pause

We’d invited friends for an overnight sailing trip. We motored up the river toward open water, and that’s when things turned wild. Tide and wind moved in opposite directions and created wild waves that rocked our forty-eight-foot boat like a bucking bronco.

Green from nausea, I inched inside to catch apples and oranges that were now rolling back and forth on the salon floor. That’s when I had a little but lively chat with God. “Help! Stop the wind! You did it once; do it again!” I wanted him to just speak a word and calm the sea right then and there. He could have done so, but instead, he took us through the waves to a safe harbor.

We can’t begin to understand why God answers cries for help in so many different ways, but we do know that he is wise and good. Sometimes he rescues us from distress quickly; other times, he waits. Let’s trust his methods. He makes no mistakes.

Ponder

How does it make you feel when God answers your prayers differently than you wish?

Pray

God, I’m grateful that your methods and timeline for answering my prayers is always good.