Calm in the Storm
Writing this month’s Director’s Post is bittersweet. I’m excited to inform you of some positive changes coming for the Institute of Theological Studies, but I’m sad to say this will be my last opportunity to write as the Director of Operations.

For over a year, God has been pressing on me through multiple people and circumstances to step into pastoral or teaching ministry, and I am seeking to walk faithfully and obediently in that direction. The last five and a half years at ITS have been very meaningful, but I have been unable to shake a restless urge to move toward a more hands-on ministry with God’s people, one in which I am able to communicate God’s Word and help others apply it in their daily lives.

As this calling to a different kind of ministry became clear, I realized that I needed to inform our Board of Directors so that our long-range planning could take my plans into account. So, last fall I explained my decision to the Board, and they affirmed that this is a good step for me. Soon after that meeting God opened some wonderful doors.

We began talking with another international ministry here in Grand Rapids—you may have heard of them—RBC Ministries, the publisher of The Daily Bread. RBC shares our passion for helping people around the world better understand the Word of God, so it quickly became clear that a merger would benefit both organizations. Many of us were amazed at the speed at which things came together—certainly an indication of God’s blessing.

This is exciting news, and I believe a merging of ITS with RBC presents a terrific opportunity for many of the things we have been working toward in the last few years to bear fruit. RBC Ministries will be able to take ITS to a new level, and I am excited to see what God has in store.

This merger was made official last month, and as of March 1, 2009, RBC Ministries will be guiding ITS into the future under the keen leadership of Evan Morgan, founder of ChristianCourses.com. Although I may be involved in certain projects or in an advisory role as necessary during the transition, my focus is to continue the journey God has taken me on this past year.

As for me and my family, I ask for your prayers as we seek to follow our Lord obediently. Many friends and family have affirmed and encouraged me to move in this direction, and I am thankful for their (especially my wife’s) support. Although changes like these are enough to unnerve anyone, I am humbled to say that God is moving. Personally, I have never felt more in the center of God’s will than I do right now, even though many things remain unclear. I look forward to what is to come, and I press on to walk faithfully in his love and guidance.

I want to leave you with a few passages from Scripture that God has brought to my memory recently. In Matthew 8:23-27 and 14:22-36, we read about two storms that took the disciples to new levels in their walk with and faith in Jesus. In the first, Jesus was with them but asleep. In the second, he shows up in the midst of the storm looking (in their eyes) an awful lot like a ghost. Both events brought real panic for these early Jesus-followers, and both events taught them who Jesus was and what it means (and feels like) to trust him.

Rembrandt, 1633 Jesus Calms the Storm

Have you ever noticed that in both of these stories Jesus allows the storm to rage even while he teaches them about faith? He didn’t calm the wind first. Instead, he shouted over the storm and asked why they were so afraid and full of doubt (8:26, 14:31). They had to have been thinking, “Are you kidding? Do you see the waves?” But only after pointing the disciples to their weak faith did he settle things down, which had a profound affect on them. They learned quickly that the time for faith is not just when things are easy. It is when we are totally undone.

It seems cruel, but God is not concerned to calm things down when he wants to deepen our faith. The storm rages while we hear him speak in our hearts, Do you trust me? And when we make that choice—to trust him when all seems lost and our strength is gone—he provides strength, encouragement, and joy even though the storms continue.

When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he rose in faith and stepped out of the boat. But the wind quickly distracted him, and he sank in fear. That’s our choice: rise in faith or sink in fear. We rise in faith when we are focused on our Lord and his goodness; we sink in fear when we focus on ourselves and our circumstances.

Carolsfeld, 1851-1860 Jesus Walks on Water

Are you in a storm? Do not panic. Hear him ask, Do you trust me? And resolve in your heart to embrace dependence and brokenness rather than independence and self-sufficiency. We are not created to weather storms on our own, and the path to true joy is the path of faith and dependence on our Lord, Jesus Christ.

For some, the storm is raging in medical problems. Will the surgery be successful? Will the treatment actually stop the cancer? Resolve in your heart to trust him.

For others, the storm is raging as a marriage falters. Why is she so angry? Why does he seem so distant? Will mom and dad stay together? Resolve in your heart to trust him.

For still others, the storm is raging in the loss of a job and the prospect of economic hardship. That’s my storm. How will I provide for my family over the next year? Join me, and resolve in your heart to trust him.

No matter what happens, no matter what your storm, do not panic and risk missing what God wants to do in your heart. Make the choice to trust and depend on him with childlike faith. It won’t be easy, but let me tell you, the only life worth living is the life of faith where our hearts are alive in him.

Maybe you are just perusing the ITS website for the first time, and maybe you have read all of my posts over the last year. Regardless, it has been a pleasure to share and to interact with many of you by phone, email, and in person. For the last five and a half years, I have been blessed by your passion for studying God’s Word and helping others go deeper in their understanding of Him. “The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” May Paul’s words continue to ring in our ears.

Grace and Peace,

Director of Operations