Favorite Quotes from "Into the Eye of the Storm" by Max Lucado

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p. 112 - "...[Job] had discussed God, had notions about him, and had prayed to him. But in the storm, Job sees him!"..."I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you." - Job 42:5

 p. 124-126 -

                "'Lord, if it's you,...tell me to come to you on the water.' (Matthew 14:28)

                The voice was Peter's he wasn't being cocky. He wasn't demanding proof. He was scared. Like me, he knew what this storm could do. He knew that the boat would soon go down. He knew that Jesus was standing up. And he knew where he wanted to be...where we all wanted to be.
                'Come on,' Jesus invited.
                So Peter climbed over the side and stepped onto the sea. Before him opened a trail through a forest of waves. He stepped quickly. Water splashed. But he kept going. This path to Jesus was a ribbon of calm. It was peaceful. Serene.
                Jesus radiated light at the end of the trail. Smiling.
                Peter stepped toward the light like it was his only hope. He was halfway there when we all heard the thunder. It boomed, and he stopped. I saw his head turn. He looked up at the sky. He looked up at the clouds. He felt the wind. And down he went.
                Boy did he yell!
                A hand came through the water sheets and grabbed Peter. Lightning flashed again, and I could see the face of Jesus. I noticed that his smile was gone. Hurt covered his face. It was like he couldn't believe that we couldn't believe. Danger to us was just a detour to him. I wanted to ask him, 'Aren't you afraid, Jesus? Aren't you afraid?'
                But I said nothing. Before I knew it, he was in the boat with us.
                The sea stilled as silk.
                The winds hushed.
                A canyon opened in the clouds; soft moonlight fell over the water.
                It happened instantaneously. It didn't take the rest of the night. It didn't take an hour. It didn't take a minute. It happened in a blink.
                From chaos to calm. From panic to peace. The sky was so suddenly silent that I could hear my heart pounding. I thought I was dreaming. The I saw the wide eyes of the others and felt my clothing soaked against my skin. This was no dream. I looked at the water. I looked at Peter. I looked at the others. And then I looked at him.
                And I did the only thing I could have done. With the stars as my candles and the stilled boat as my altar. I fell at his feet and worshipped."

 *Side note: Peter had to "take courage" and step out on faith, step out of his comfort zone, and step into the unknown.

p. 126 -

                "I saw God. The God who can't sit still when the storm is too strong. The God who lets me get frightened enough to need him and then comes close enough for me to see him. The God who uses my storms as his path to come to me.
                "I saw God. It took a storm for me to see him. But I saw him. And I'll never be the same."

 p. 127 - "After the storm, [the disciples] worshipped him. They had never, as a group, done that before." (Matthew 14:33)

 p. 128 - "When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire him. When you recognize his wisdom, you will learn from him. When you discover his strength, you will rely on him. But only when he saves you will you worship him."

 p. 129 - "A season of suffering is a small price to pay for a clear view of God."

 p. 136 -

                "If Peter had seen Jesus walking on the water during a calm, peaceful day, do you think that he would have walked out to him?"

                "Great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation."
                "At the beginning of every act of faith, there is often a seed of fear."
                "Faith begins when you see God on the mountain and you are in the valley and you know that you're too weak to make the climb. You see what you need...you see what you have...and what you have isn't enough to accomplish anything."

p. 138 - [Like Peter], "We come to Christ in an hour of deep need. We abandon the boat of good works. We realize, like Moses, that human strength won't save us. So we look to God in desperation. We realize, like Paul, that all the good works in the world are puny when laid before the Perfect One. We realize, like Peter, that spanning the gap between us and Jesus is a feat too great for our feet. So we beg for help. Hear his voice. And step out in fear, hoping that our little faith will be enough."

p. 139 - "With precious, wobbly steps, we draw closer to him. For a season of surprising strength, we stand upon his promises."

 p. 148 -

                "I think that [Jesus] was admiring [the Canaanite woman]. I think that it did his heart good to see some spunky faith for a change. I think that it refreshed him to see someone asking him to do the very thing he came to do - give great gifts to unworthy children."
                "Perhaps the most amazing response to God's gift is our reluctance to accept it. We want it. But on our terms."

p. 149 - "She knew only two things: her daughter was weak, and Jesus was strong."

p. 159 - "When your world touches God's world, the result is a holy moment. When God's high hope kisses your earthly hurt, that moment is holy."

 p. 163 - "When we choose to be baptized, by lifestyle as much as by symbol, into Christ, the same shielding occurs. Our sins and faults are lost beneath the sheer radiance of his covering. 'For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God' (Colossians 3:3). Please don't miss the impact of this verse. When God sees us, he also sees Christ. He sees perfection! Not perfection earned by us, mind you, but perfections paid for by him."