I met with my spiritual mentor yesterday and we both found ourselves in awe of the Word of God yet again. It was one of those times where I think, “Good grief! How many times have I read that and NOT seen this?!”

The text was the end of Mark 4 and the beginning of Mark 5. The chapter break hurts us. We see the story of the disciples in the boat in Mark 4. The storm comes. Jesus is asleep, they wake him up… you know the story. And we leave it there.

Then, we pick up with Mark 5. Jesus sets the Gadarene demoniac free. Separate story.

What we pondered yesterday was how the stories were the same story, and the repercussions of that fact. The storm… sent by Satan? Why not? What was on the end of that journey? The Gadarene demoniac. A man who was tormenting an entire region. Satan had a stronghold. If Jesus gets there, the demoniac would be set free. The region would be loosed of its grip, possibly. (Now, the region still chooses to fear. They chase Jesus away, which is another sermon altogether!)

But Satan could see the pattern.

Thus, the storm.

The storm could be seen as “normal,” or it could be seen as a direct attack. A way to keep Jesus from reaching the demoniac.

It’s a powerful thought. What are the times in my life when I’ve identified “storms” and missed something? Was it an attack instead? The enemy blowing me off course so I didn’t reach some destination? I can look back and see some points in life where I could use 20/20 hindsight. There were times I was blown off course but at the time didn’t see it.

It’s a good way to stay alert. My own life needs to be able to discern those sudden storms. It’s not that they’re all “the devil.” But it’s not always “just a storm,” either.