Commenting on Mark 4: 35-41 (Jesus Calms the Storm), Ron Carpenter Jr. (The Necessity of an Enemy) notes that although Jesus told the disciples they would make it to the other side of the lake, He didn’t tell them how they would get there. Similarly, although Jesus hasn’t told us every detail of how our life will unfold, He has promised that we’ll get to the other side.
Pastor Ron explains: “Most people get caught in the middle of the same predicament the disciples found themselves in. We’ve been promised the ‘other side’, but we lose faith when it becomes clear that we can’t hold God to the details of how He will get us there. We can’t forget that there is an enemy that, somewhere along the journey, does not want you to make it to God’s intended end.”
An enemy exists to remind us there’s something inside us worth fighting for. We need to hold onto God’s promises in the face of what Satan has created for us to see. While we tend to view our ministry downsizing or position loss as extremely personal, Ron offers a different, thought-provoking perspective: “Don’t take your battles too personally. It’s not about you; it’s about what’s inside you.”
2 Corinthians 5:7- “We walk by faith, not by sight.”
