Weathering the Storms

Matt 8:23-27 23 “ As He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But He was sleeping. 25 So the disciples came and woke Him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to die!" 26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, you of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was a great calm. 27 The men were amazed and said, "What kind of man is this? --Even the winds and the sea obey Him!"

Matthew 8:23-27 is a picture of the Christian Way of Life (CWL). We decide to follow Christ into the boat of Spiritual life hoping for smooth sailing on calm seas. What we fail to understand is that when we choose to follow Him into that boat, we set sail for the storm. The destination of the Spiritual life is Spiritual maturity, but Spiritual maturity can only be attained by weathering the storms of life. Most of us go through life trying to avoid the storm rather than sailing right through the middle of it, but faith is not strengthened by “dodging the bullet”, it is strengthened by being shot and living through it. What we have to understand is that even if Jesus seems to be sleeping through the storms of our life, HE IS STILL ON THE BOAT WITH US!!! It is our responsibility to prepare for the storm.

"If a Christian does not know what God has done in the past and does not have faith in what God will do in the future, he will be overwhelmed by today's crisis." Chester McCalley

These disciples feared for their life, because they weren’t prepared for the storm. In order to be prepared, we must know what God has done in the past and have faith in what he will do in the future. We can’t be amazed like the disciples and say “What kind of man is this”! We have to know who Christ is, what He has done, and what He will do. Confidence in Jesus Christ allows us to rest through the storms of life by faith. Matt 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Fear, anxiety, worry, panic, and uncertainty in life’s storms will beat you down to the point of exhaustion. But resting by faith in the Lord relaxes, rejuvenates, and restores the soul in the eye of the storm.

Rom 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

If only the disciples would have known who Christ was then they could have had faith in what he would do during the storm. If only they would have known the Word they would have had a “confidence that confirms” instead of a “fear that fails.” Job 9:8 “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.” Psalms 89:9 “you rule the raging sea; when its waves surge, you still them. “ Psalms 107:29 “He stilled the waves to a murmur and the waves of the sea were hushed.”

These disciples didn’t have faith because they didn’t know the Scriptures. If we don’t know the Scriptures, then we won’t have faith in Him during the many storms that we will encounter in this lifetime. How are you holding up in the storms of your Spiritual life? Are you failing in fear or firmly rooted in faith? Be prepared for the storms of life by knowing what HE has done in past and having faith in what HE will do in the future. Know the Word and rest in It’s truth!! Remember, we are all in the same boat.....with Jesus!! Prepare for the storm!! 2 Peter 3:18 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”