In the midst of the storm, winds blow fiercely. The skies darken all around and thunderous sounds shake throughout. Our initial response is to retreat for cover and hideaway for safety. Fears and anxieties build up, but at the right time the skies break the clouds. We see the sun light up as it cascades the sky placing a warmth all around us. Then it’s all over. Warmth, Tranquility and Peace become the blanket of our safety. Some storms leave ruins but just as swiftly as they come God can restore.
The Bible’s speaks of an amazing story when Jesus calms the storm. In Mathew 8:23-26 it states,
“When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. And the disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us, we are going to die!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was [at once] a great and wonderful calm [a perfect peacefulness].”
As I look at this portion of scripture I see how the disciples followed Him into the boat, unaware of the storm that was coming. Isn’t that just like our lives . We walk through our ministries, our marriages, parenting and lives, unaware of the violent storms that will come. It violently shakes us back and forth and all our fears crash down on us, just like the waves coming down on the disciples. Wave after wave of disappointments, hurts, failures, set backs, lost dreams, death, divorce, abuse and so many more. We begin to fear the worst and look at our life as if we were closing our caskets. The death of all our hopes and dreams gone because of our storm.
The disciples were consumed with fear and called out to Jesus. “Jesus, save us!”. Take notice, we are not alone in our storm. Jesus was in the storm with them and He is in ours. I’m sure each of us have dealt with many storms. Some great, some small but we’ve survived them all. We survived because Jesus was with us. We made it through when we lost a loved one. We made it through being abandoned. We made it through abuse. We survived a failed marriage, because Jesus was with us. As the story continues Jesus asked them “why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” This statement must have struck the disciples by surprise but also challenged them. How can we have fear when He is present in our lives? He challenged them to see that although the storm was vivid, harsh, brutal and violent, He was there. He also challenged their Faith. The Bible states in Hebrews 11: 1 that,
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].”
The Lord is challenging us to not fear of what we see but Believe what He has already promised. Our hopes and dreams just don’t vanish. We won’t die in our situation. We are not alone in this mess, we are with our Lord. As the story continues, we see Jesus in His authority and Fullness, Rebuke the winds and the sea. Immediately! Instantly! There was a perfect Peace. Not just any peace but a perfect peace.
Whatever we face may be painful, it may rip us to the seams but there is a peace that we will receive. All our dreams didn’t die in the storm, they were preserved. My biggest challenge was facing the reality of my situation. The current condition I was in and not seeing the skies break for me. I was consumed with sadness and fear of what would be the outcome but Jesus calmed my storm. He spoke clearly into my heart bringing healing. Reminding me He was in control of it all. In that moment, in an Instant peace came over me. All I could do was cry because of His tender love for me. My skies cleared at a Sunday service for all to see. Now the sun is bright and the storm was gone. God is faithful and will never put you to shame.
I want to remind someone that although peace may seem unattainable, you can have peace in and out of your storm. So I challenge you today. Don’t look at the storm as a disadvantage but see it as an opportunity for God to extend His Glory upon you. You will survive the storm.
God Bless you all. I pray you were inspired by my entry today. I want to encourage you to continue to seek God no matter what you face. Let me remind you all storms come to an end. We will make it! The Lord will give you a new thing. My storm ended this Sunday and I’m looking forward to the new. If He was able to do it for me He can do it for you. Remember, We are not alone.
Beauty For Ashes 