When the Storms of Life Overwhelm You, Seek the Lord!

“And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25- And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26- 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 it became perfectly calm. 27- The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” -Matt8:24-27 (KJV)

Who today doesn’t face storms in their lives? By storms I mean tough and difficult times. Hard decisions. Family matters. Spousal bouts of anger, frustration and understanding. Work issues. And on and on it goes…

Who today is exempt from these types of life problems? Not many, is my assumption.

Our text comes from the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus just previously performed miracles of healing, now shows just how powerful He is.

The disciples and Jesus got into a boat heading out into the Sea of Galilee. From the north is seen Mt Hermon which rises 9200 ft from approx May through Oct. In this time window strong winds can develop that pass through the narrow surrounding valleys, hills and somewhat natural crevasses.  The boat came under attack from one these treacherous winding and powerful wind storms. The disciples were deathly scared and didn’t know what to do other than waking Jesus who was sleeping.

Realize that these same disciples saw some of the miracles from the hand of the Lord first hand, up front and personal and yet they didn’t know what to do. A real lesson for us friends … don’t follow their lead with the same, “I don’t know what to do” response when the storms of this life hit you. Seek Jesus!  Storms in this life will arise and try to overwhelm you; small or big, they will come upon you in many ways – work, family, friends, financial, emotional. You may be in the midst of some of these right now. Turn to Jesus!

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22 (ESV)

Back in the boat Jesus replied to the disciples plea for help by asking are you [still, even now, after all we’ve been through] fearful? This would also imply that the [Devil’s] fiery darts of worry and doubt were launched and hit their target (you or me). The disciples were paralyzed in their faith; immobilized from letting their faith kick in. Is this you …is this me today? The enemy of our souls will try everything in his arsenal to derail you from following Jesus and exercising your faith in Him. He wants to kill, maim and destroy (John 10:10) those who authentically follow the Lord. Don’t let the water of unbelief in the Lord, despite your situation, smother your flame of belief in His powerful presence and ability to help you weather your storm.

Let’s not overlook that Jesus more or less admonished them for their lack of faith (unbelief) and fear. Another strong lesson for us to heed. No unbelief and no fear. (For additional info on how Jesus looks at unbelief read about His action in His hometown of Nazareth in Matt 13:57-58).

Unbelief will quench your faith as quickly as water over a fire.

Don’t give in to doubt over what the Lord can do in your storm. If you are seemingly trapped in the storm of despair, doubt, fear, worry or endless anxiety, break free of these today in asking Jesus for help. He will be there if you are authentic, real and believe in Him by calling out to Him in prayer. If Jesus who created the Sun, Moon, Stars and the expanse of the Universe can still a storm-ridden sea, He can bring calm, peace and power into your life and situation.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” – Heb 11:6 (KJV)

Seek the Lord friends – 24x7x365. Never give up believing Him for the strength and the answer for without faith it is impossible (yes, impossible) to please the Lord (Heb 11:6). Finally remember that Jesus came to the disciples plea for help in His timing and in His will for their lives. He will do the same for you and me but sometimes we have to go through the thorns to get to the flowers.

God bless you this day and please seek the Lord daily! Be a real and  authentic Christian in your walk with Him.

-BPWatcher, Internet Preacher and Bible Prophecy Watchman

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” -2 Peter 3:11-12

GLORY TO GOD!