2022: Better or Worse Than 2021?
Happy New Year!
Does anyone else feel a bit nervous saying that? The last few years have held so many challenges and difficulties, it feels a little scary to anticipate what is coming next. What in the world is around the corner?
The answer is, we have no idea what is coming.
But here is the good news. The very, very good news. No matter what happens next, we know WHO will be with us every step of the way.
Right now, life might feel like God might be busy elsewhere. I sympathize with the disciples and how they must have felt when Jesus fell asleep in the boat while they were buffeted by a difficult storm. While wind assailed them and waves swamped the boat, Jesus was curled up in the stern. The Bible even includes that He dozed on a cushion. That almost rubs in the fact that Jesus enjoyed comfort and rest while His disciples feared they were going to die.
In The Storm
We find this account in Mark 4:35-41:
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" - Mark 4:35-41 ESV
The disciples actually accuse Jesus of not caring about what was happening.
Have you wondered is Jesus cared about what was happening in 2020 and 2021? That’s okay. You don’t have to admit it. I don’t have to either. But we do need to learn from this story.
When He says, “Peace,” even the storms answered to His commands. His followers weren't sure what to do with that. While the disciples started out being afraid of the storm, they ended up afraid of Jesus.
I learn much from this story, mostly that what might appear to me like Him not paying attention, in reality He has everything under control.
As we stare into 2022, we march in with a load of 2021 problems or consequences of 2021 issues.
Rising prices
Supply chain issues
Labor shortages that challenge every business
Housing and car prices that stagger a new buyer
Variants
Deep divides over how to solve problems
Separate islands of stances on vaccines
how to live with each others different opinions
Families that have lost loved ones in the last year
So how would we not fear? Like the disciples, we feel like our boat might get swamped.
2022
We must remember, during the storms of 2021, Jesus was with us.
Therefore, whatever tempests are coming in 2022, Jesus is already there.
Storms may rage around us. Water may slosh into our boats and we might fear destruction. But Jesus is with us every moment.
With His disciples, His peace in the storm taught them something. He could sleep because not only did He feared nothing, but because every raindrop was under His command.
Every detail is still under His control.
As you step into 2022 please remember that every moment of the coming year is securely under Jesus's command.
Our job is to leave the problems to Him and use every moment to His glory and for His purpose!
How To Face The Unknown of 2022
Here is what I propose:
keep our eyes on Jesus and be confident in His peace.
turn our face to the storm and say, “Every atom of this problem must obey Jesus.”
trust the Lord will carry us through.
rest in Jesus the way He rested in the boat.
No matter what happens, I have a choice. I can badger the Lord and complain that He is sleeping through the bad. Or I can place my faith in Him. Rest in trust. And ride through the storm by His side.