Jonah, an Old Testament hero, fought God’s order to go to Nineveh, jumping on a ship bound for Tarshish. After the boat had set sail, a violent storm swelled. Jonah ended up in the belly of a big fish but eventually followed God’s order. This led to the conversion of Nineveh’s people to God.

Paul, a New Testament hero, was shipwrecked on the island of Malta after a storm had tossed the ship he was traveling on for more than fourteen days. While there, he laid hands on the sick of the island and they were healed.

There are, of course, the storms on the Sea of Galilee. In Matthew 8 we read of a storm that sent the disciples of Jesus into a panic while their Master slept peacefully somewhere in the boat as it rocked and rolled over Galilee’s waves. In chapter 14 Jesus put His disciples in another boat and told them to head over to the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee. While Jesus was praying, a storm came up. He left His place of prayer and walked out, stepping on the water that was pounding against the boat. The disciples thought He was a ghost, but when Jesus called out to them, Peter left the boat in an action of faith that is often forgotten. We tend to remember that he began to sink in the water after walking on it because he took his eyes off Jesus and refocused on the wind.

But like the pilot of our flight, Peter braved the storm. He was willing to attempt to ride it out, only to discover that it was impossible without holding on to the hand of Jesus. It was easier to focus on the circumstance rather than the One who held the outcome. In the end, Peter did not sink. Though he began to sink, he was caught by Jesus and walked back toward the boat with the Lord.

Several years ago, Scott Krippayne sang a song expressing the difference in God’s calming the sea and calming his child. In the stories above—and no doubt in our own lives—we can see the times when God has done one or the other, or one before the other. Rarely, however, do we jump for joy as we approach the storm, anticipating the beauty we’ll see when we’ve reached its end. Rarely do we take off “flying” or jump out of the boat racing toward Jesus screaming, “Yes, Lord!”

Many years ago I was in the midst of a “storm.” I spoke to a pastor friend of mine who said, “You look back and see the beginning of the storm and you see the wind and waves as you ride out the middle of it. But God sees straight through to the end of the storm. He sees the answers to your every prayer as though they have already happened. He sees the results of your time here. So, when you pray through this, you can rest in that.”

And so can you. Whatever storms you are riding out, look for Jesus. Grab His hand and look beyond the circumstance. God does. He is sending Venus rising in the dark of night. He is displaying the glory of a sunset and the power of lightning before your very eyes. But to see it, you have to brave the storm.

 Eva Marie Everson is the author of a number of works such as Oasis, her recently released title from Baker/Revel. A seminary graduate, she speaks on a number of topics and can be reached by going to: www.EvaMarieEverson.com