Mark 4:39 recounts: “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.””
In order to have the right perspective toward storms of life, we must understand three things:
1. The Presence of Storms
Storms happen, and we have to face them. Christians are not exempted from life altering, faith shattering storms—even with Christ on our side. There will be those storms that will break over our boat and would swamp us in ways we least expected (Mark 4:37). Our consolation amidst these storms is that they don’t happen without God’s sovereign knowledge and without his purpose. The old saying goes: if God brings us to it, he will bring us through it!
2. The Purpose of Storms
There are different purposes of storms as recorded in the bible:
a. Disciples’ Storm, Mark 4:37 – To test the disciples’ faith. This is not to put down the confidence of the disciples but to test how far they can go for trusting God.
b. Paul’s Storm, Acts 27:14 – To open new door of witness. We may not understand it at first, but God’s ways are always for the good—and it’s been proven.
c. Jonah’s Storm, Jonah 1:4 – A storm brought Jonah from backsliding. Jonah might have reacted very fearfully in the presence of his storm, but in the end, we’re just sure that he thanked God for it. It was a rebuke he’d forever be grateful for.
3. The Power of Jesus over Storms
But in the midst of these storms, we should remember one thing: our God is on the boat and he will never permit himself to sink with it! Our God is king over all that even storms obey him (Mk 4:39). There’s no storm in our life that his power can’t quiet, there’s no fear inside us that he can’t calm, there’s no confusion around that he can’t make his presence felt. Psalm 121:3 perfectly captured this truth when it said: “He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber.”
Challenge...
Is there any storm in your life right now? Be reminded that Jesus is just right there in the boat with you. Just as he did before, he can command the strong wind to die down and can certainly bring you safely to the other side of your destination. There was this classic song that we’ve all been taught in Sunday school that affirms our faith in the One who rules over the storm: with Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm…until he takes me home…
In order to have the right perspective toward storms of life, we must understand three things:
1. The Presence of Storms
Storms happen, and we have to face them. Christians are not exempted from life altering, faith shattering storms—even with Christ on our side. There will be those storms that will break over our boat and would swamp us in ways we least expected (Mark 4:37). Our consolation amidst these storms is that they don’t happen without God’s sovereign knowledge and without his purpose. The old saying goes: if God brings us to it, he will bring us through it!
2. The Purpose of Storms
There are different purposes of storms as recorded in the bible:
a. Disciples’ Storm, Mark 4:37 – To test the disciples’ faith. This is not to put down the confidence of the disciples but to test how far they can go for trusting God.
b. Paul’s Storm, Acts 27:14 – To open new door of witness. We may not understand it at first, but God’s ways are always for the good—and it’s been proven.
c. Jonah’s Storm, Jonah 1:4 – A storm brought Jonah from backsliding. Jonah might have reacted very fearfully in the presence of his storm, but in the end, we’re just sure that he thanked God for it. It was a rebuke he’d forever be grateful for.
3. The Power of Jesus over Storms
But in the midst of these storms, we should remember one thing: our God is on the boat and he will never permit himself to sink with it! Our God is king over all that even storms obey him (Mk 4:39). There’s no storm in our life that his power can’t quiet, there’s no fear inside us that he can’t calm, there’s no confusion around that he can’t make his presence felt. Psalm 121:3 perfectly captured this truth when it said: “He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber.”
Challenge...
Is there any storm in your life right now? Be reminded that Jesus is just right there in the boat with you. Just as he did before, he can command the strong wind to die down and can certainly bring you safely to the other side of your destination. There was this classic song that we’ve all been taught in Sunday school that affirms our faith in the One who rules over the storm: with Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm…until he takes me home…
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