Luke 8:24, 25 “And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! For he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”
In this story we find the disciples with Jesus, in a boat, taking a trip to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They might have expected this would be one of the most amazing trips they’d ever take, and it was; but not in the way they expected.
As they crossed the sea, a raging storm came upon them, out of nowhere. This storm brought these expert fishermen to the very end of themselves. They thought they were going to die. The disciples struggled to keep the boat from capsizing. They finally remember Jesus is on board and find Him sleeping on a cushion in the back of the boat. As a last ditch effort, they turn to Jesus in anger, crying out, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are going to drown?” Jesus awakens and rebukes the storm and there was instant calming. A word from Jesus was all it took. The disciple’s desperation ceased and they were left in awe and amazement.
Look with me just a moment at their situation:
-This storm came out of nowhere just like our storms do today.
-This storm was unexpected especially with Jesus on board their vessel.
-This storm was more powerful than anything they had previously experienced.
-This storm brought emotions to surface that these rugged men were not accustomed to.
Have you ever been in a situation like that? One where there seems to be no way out and nothing you can do to save yourself? That same desperation is what the disciples must have felt in this situation. Jesus is in the boat with you too as a believer, but it doesn’t make you immune to storms or the destruction they can bring.
Jesus was physically with them, but they waited until the last minute to ask Him for help. I’ve often wondered, “Shouldn’t it have it occurred to them, to ask Him for help, right away?” However, when you really think about it we do the same thing today. When we need our faith the most it is sometimes hard to be found.
We know that we need to trust Jesus, but practically, how do we do that when we’re being tossed about? Having faith in God truly means that we seek Him, enter into His rest, and trust in His Word. Our faith requires action even when we are in the midst of a storm.
(1) Our first action of faith is to trust Him with everything within us.
Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Jesus was very specific in telling those who were heavy-laden and overburdened to come to Him. So what does that really mean in the times we face today?
a. We can’t trust Him in some things and not in others. There’s no such thing as God being almost sovereign. He either is or isn’t!
b. If our situation requires a miracle, then we must realize that God is the only One that can perform that miracle.
c. We must learn how to go to Him in prayer, casting all our cares on Him, and receive His rest (peace).
d. We must stop laboring and trying to do it our way, and learn to start trusting Him to do it His way.
Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?”
(2) Our second action of faith is to learn how to rest in the midst of our storms.
In a violent, life-threatening storm, Jesus was peacefully asleep. In our storms of life, we too, can enter into rest with God.
a. Just stand still and watch God work.
1 Chronicles 20:17 “Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.”
b. Continuing to trust Him, even if our situation does not change.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
-We can’t change our circumstances if the circumstances we are in are God’s will.
-We must trust that He has promised to work all things for good.
c. We must expect what God speaks in the storm to come to pass in our lives.
Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
(3) Our third action of faith is to have the foundation of the Word.
You can’t be an unbelieving believer. You either trust God or you don’t. You trust His Word or you don’t.
Psalm 22:5 “They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.”
a. Faith does not walk by sight, because every time you step out in faith, you can rest assured, you are going to be challenged with something that contradicts it.
b. Faith is a choice, not a feeling. It is choice that declares, regardless of the way things appear, “I trust God.”
In closing remember these three things:
-Jesus will never jump out of the boat of your life.
-Don’t wait until the storms hit you before you know His Word.
-Keep your shield of faith handy. You never know when you might need it.
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