Imaging with me for a moment. Let’s say you have prepared almost all your life or for a short period for this moment – an interview, internship, a first date, a marriage proposal, your first surgery as a doctor, your first game, your first message as a pastor, or your first solo act and you completely freak out and fail to rise to the occasion. How would you feel? How will your teacher, mentor, coach, parent or friends react?

The disciples had been in training for a while with Jesus. They saw the miracles and demonstration of supernatural power. They saw his compassion. They saw his life up close and saw how he dealt with adversity and challenges. He taught them how to pray, how to fight the fight of faith, how to cast out demons and what it will take to move mountains. Yet when the perfect occasion arose for them to exercise their faith and put into practice what they’ve learned from the master – they completely freaked out.

We find their story in Mark 4:35-41 – where they came to Jesus saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Jesus said to them, Where is your faith?

Where is the stuff I have taught you? Here is a perfect opportunity for you to put it into practice. Yet you are freaking out. I have prepared you for this moment. I have equipped you for this. I have taught and given you everything you need to deal with the problem before you.

What a missed opportunity!

The application to the story is obvious. We have all been equipped by the Lord to deal with and handle every storm that comes our way. Maybe it is just human nature for us to freak out when the storms of life come against us.

But could it be that God has provided everything we need to deal with the storms of life? Could it be that all we need to do is stand up just like He showed us and rebuke the storms as they arise in our lives?

You perfect opportunity could be now whatever the storm. Don’t miss!