LET IT OUT

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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This last weakened in our church service, we heard from Pastor Robert Emmitt concerning the way we deal with changes in our lives. Over the next few devotionals, we will recap the big ideas from this message so that we can all benefit from the wisdom of God’s word as we face changes of all kinds. 

Let it out

The first big idea that Pastor Emmitt shared was that when we go through times of hardship and pain, we need to open up to the Lord about how we are really feeling. 

We need to be honest with God during times when we are angry, fearful, upset, and confused. Faith in the Lord does not mean that we bottle up all of our honest emotions for fear of offending or hurting the Lord. During times of change and distress, we need to turn to the Lord, not away from God. As we turn toward God, we need to learn to be honest about what we are feeling. 

Example

The following passage speaks to a time when the disciples of Jesus were going through a wide range of powerful emotions and during which, they were not afraid to share their true feelings with the Lord. 

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

(Mark 4:35-41 NIV11)

Situation

Prior to getting into the boat, Jesus had concluded a long session of ministry, healing, and teaching. Jesus wanted to get away from the demands of the crowd for a few minutes, so he called upon his friends, most of whom were supposed to be well versed with the fisherman’s life.

Jesus was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. This is why he wanted to get in the boat and move away from the crowd for a little bit. He needed the downtime. That is good for us to see as well. We need to allow the example of Jesus Christ to sink in and call us into times of rest. 

Storm

A storm rolled in and caused the water to get a bit choppy. The low-slung fishing boat commonly used by those fishing with nets was not faring well in the storm. But Jesus was unaffected by the storm and the waves (that is pure exhaustion).

The disciples were not as calm about all that was happening. They started to panic. Rather than deal with the storm in a way fitting those who have been well trained and seasoned with experience, they reacted emotionally. 

Accusation

The disciples woke Jesus up from his much-needed rest, and they yelled at him. Seriously. The disciples, in the midst of a blowing storm, woke Jesus up from a deep sleep and challenged Jesus with a wild accusation. 

They accused Jesus of not caring about their lives. Where did they get this idea? 

They were frightened, and they did not handle it well. They lashed out at Jesus, accusing the Lord of being apathetic to their plight. Why did they say that? Because they believed it. 

At that moment, they felt forgotten by the Lord. They wanted Jesus to act on their need, and the lack of action from Jesus was interpreted as a lack of care and concern. 

Wrong

The disciples were wrong. No doubt. Jesus proved it to them as he simply said, “Shhhhh.” Jesus cared about them, and it was wrong of the guys to say otherwise. But that is how they felt in their time of trial, and they were not afraid to let it out, to tell it to the Lord. 

Jesus did not throw the disciples overboard for losing it in that moment. Jesus did not even chastise them for their accusation. Jesus called them back into faith. They were not walking in faith, not trusting the Lord in this hard time, and the Lord simply called them back. 

Today

If you are going through something hard that has hurt you deeply, do not hold back from sharing this hurt with the Lord. Jesus Christ is with you, and he will not leave you. If you need to yell and cry, then get it out. If you are hurting, confused, and questioning, then call on the Lord and share what is going on inside. 

The Lord will not reject you or punish you for being honest. 

But we will be hurt worse if we allow our frustrations to pull us away from the Lord during the storms of life. 

In Christ, Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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