“But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 CSB
Have you seen the movie “Perfect Storm” with George Clooney. It tells the true tale of a ship caught in the midst of two powerful storms at sea and a hurricane, thus creating the perfect storm. The movie poster shows the boat at the bottom of a massive wave that is about to over take it. That is the image that came to mind when I read this verse. The boat is catapulted around, sinking, there were no survivors. A miscalculation by the crew that cost them their lives. None of them anticipated the trifecta they were sailing into that tragic day.
Life can seem like that. Convergences of circumstances can create a perfect storm in our lives. We can feel swept away in the midst of an angry wave, incapable of controlling the unfolding events that lay ahead of us. It can make us feel helpless, alone, out of control. Last week I had a very busy day. One appointment after another. The “perfect storm” started when I couldn’t find my car keys, which caused my husband to have to come home from work to give me his. Then I broke the ball machine as I started my tennis lesson, and the moon roof in my car got stuck open with rain in the forecast. All of these things are very minor, but they all occurred within a couple of hours and seemed overwhelming at the time. I cried out to God, “What did I do wrong?” I felt like nothing was going right.
Then I stopped. I remembered Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV). I had to do a little preaching to myself. I had to remind myself that these few moments did not define my day. I had to have faith that all things work to the good, that God had a plan, and whatever it was, this was part of it. I started to pray. I asked God to help me find my keys. I managed to fix the ball machine. And, by the grace of God, my husband was able to get the moon roof shut before the rain started. Everything worked out just fine, I just had to have faith.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 17:20, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (NIV). I pray you have faith. If you need more, ask God for it. Whatever situation you’re dealing with today, ask God for the faith to handle it. He’ll give it to you. It doesn’t take much to move mountains, just a mustard seed. May you be blessed with a mustard seed of faith to move your mountain.
