Dealing with the Storm
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:35–39
“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm,” Mark 4:37–39.
Dealing with the Storm
Father God, we cannot live without you. Be our boat and carry us through the sea of life, for within the boat of Christ, the storms of life are quelled. The storms of life bring such turbulence that our need for divine intervention becomes immediately clear. Sometimes we do not even know the direction from which the storm comes but we are certain of one thing: our Master, the Captain of our souls, can deal with the storms of life.
There are three primary types of storms in life:
The storm that comes when you are about to pass over, or get to your next season, Mark 4:35–39. Mark speaks of this type of storm when, after the multitudes were sent away, Jesus and the disciples were trying to pass over to the other side of the shore. As Jesus slept, there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves nearly filled the boat. When the disciples woke Him and explained the situation, Jesus rebuked the wind and calmed the sea. Anyone going through this type of storm is about to pass over and into a new season. This storm occurs because there is resistance to you getting over to the other side, getting over to your higher ground. When this happens, relax, for the Lord will calm that storm.
The storm that comes when you are moving in too much of a hurry, Acts 27.
Paul was traveling with some soldiers and he told them it was not time to go, but they were in a hurry, disobeyed and set sail. When we are hurrying so much we do not hear the voice of God, storms will come.
The storm that comes when you disobey and divert from the right path, Jonah 1.
Jonah experienced this kind of storm when God instructed him to go to Nineveh and instead he went to Tarshish. When you run away from the presence of God, storms come. If you have backslidden, return to God just as you are and be restored. He is a faithful Father. Jonah knew of God’s compassion and mercy and that is why he told the crew to throw him into the raging sea. God was merciful; He arranged for a fish to swallow Jonah. Even inside the fish’s belly, Jonah prayed and God heard him. Talk to God wherever you are now.
In order to effectively deal with the storms in life, every Christian must remember that Jesus is the boat of your life. Since Jesus is the boat, you need to alert Him to the details of the storm, as did the disciples. Call on Jesus to speak to the storm to stop it. You must decree the peace and stability of God into your storm. Many of us cannot adequately handle these storms because we fail to talk to Jesus and make decrees. Although we have Jesus in us, we do not tell Him anything because we think He knows. He does know but He is gentle; He wants you to come to Him and tell Him everything. Then, He will give you the words to speak to the storm so that you may rebuke the wind that is empowering the storm. Some of us do not know how to decree, but must learn because the Bible says, “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established…,” Job 22:28. “…whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,” Matthew 16:19. You have the authority in the name of Jesus, so decree peace into your situation, and according to the Word of God, calm will come. We survive the storms of life because we have the peace of God, the promises of God, the protection of God and the purpose of God protects us. There is always a profit in the process of the storm. We are never who we were before we went through the storm. The storm has deepened our prayer life, our patience and we are more reflective in the storms and consequently we have more revelations. The comforting truth about every storm for the child of God is the confidence that the Lord is present in every storm we go through.
Prayer Points:
If you have not given your life to Jesus, you cannot deal effectively with the storms of life. So pray, “Dear Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to you. I confess and forsake my sins .
Cleanse me from my sins with your blood and write my name in the book of life. Let me experience peace in every storm.”
Father God, give us the grace to deal with all the storms in our lives. Help us to call on Jesus, and tell Him about the situation. Help us to rebuke the wind and decree the peace of God.
Amen.
