Storms

Matthew 14:22-32 is a familiar passage to many of us about when Jesus walked on water and calmed the raging storms that the disciples encountered.
Jesus had just finished the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with two fish and five loaves of bread. After the extra food was gathered, Jesus immediately sent His disciples on the sea of Galilee to the other side. The disciples set out on the journey and Jesus sent the crowds away. He then spent time in prayer and solitude with His heavenly Father. A storm rolled in and by the fourth watch of the night, (this is assumed to be between 3 and 6 a.m.) the boat was a long way from shore and being battered by the wind and waves.

Jesus walked on the water to meet them in the storm. The disciples cried out and said “It’s a Ghost!”. Immediately Jesus said,
“Take courage, it is I; Do not be afraid.”

Then Peter said Lord if it is you, command me to come out on the water. Jesus said “COME.” Peter got out of the boat and came to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind and the waves he became frightened and started to sink, he cried out “Lord Save Me!”

Jesus stretched out his hand and took hold of him and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

When they got in the boat the wind and storm stopped, and Jesus silenced the winds and the waves.
And those inside the boat worshiped Him saying, “You are certainly God’s son.”

The first thing I want you to notice is that Jesus sent the disciples out onto the water. This act shows that Jesus is always before the storm. He is all-knowing. Jesus knew the storm was going to happen and He sent them out anyways. He sent them out after they had just witnessed a miracle. They had just witnessed the power of Jesus in a very literal way as he fed thousands of people with two fish and five loaves of bread. It was a miraculous display of provision.

There are many times in life when we will head into a storm after witnessing the power of God in our lives. Maybe we have experienced His healing, victory in a spiritual battle or an answer to prayer. I listened to one pastor say ‘be prepared to face a trial after victory happens in your life’ and I did not want to listen to his words. I thought it was a pretty negative viewpoint, however, we do see this pattern in scripture even in the life of Jesus. He was immediately led into the desert to be tempted and tested after he had been baptized and God had said “this is my son with whom I am well pleased”.
So if it happened to Jesus it will happen to us. But do not be discouraged. The victory or triumph before the storm is meant to give us a stronghold as the winds begin to blow. Jesus is before the storm.

Another key element is Jesus was praying as the storm began. It does not say exactly what He was praying for, but if it is anything like His High Priestly prayer in John 17 he was lifting up his disciples, and praying for deliverance from the evil one, perhaps praying for their strength. He was praying before the storm and as the storm began out on the Sea.
Not only is Jesus here for us before the storm hits, before that first gust of wind or peal of thunder but He is also in the storm with us. It says that Jesus intercedes on our behalf. The wind and waves picked up and the boat was a long way offshore, the storm was terrifying and strong. The disciples were scared and feared for their life. These were experienced fishermen who knew how to handle storms. But this storm was enough for them to fear death and to worry that there would be a bleak outcome.

I want us to look at the phrase ‘they were a long way off shore’ and I want you to realize that ‘being a long way off shore’, means nothing to an all-powerful savior and God.

There are times we feel we are a long way offshore, we feel we have been set out on a journey that we never wanted to go on or intended to be on. It wasn’t in our plans to get that diagnosis, it wasn’t in our plans for our loved one to pass away, it wasn’t in our plans to get this job or be on this career path, it wasn’t in our plans to see our kids struggle with depression, anxiety or trials, it wasn’t in our plans to be suffering with grief, sadness, pain, regret, unfaithfulness, abuse, hatred, addiction, loneliness, a cheating spouse – the storm is blowing and hope seems far away, dry land and rest seems so far in the distance.

We look out and realize that we are far from shore. But I want you to realize that while we may feel that we are far away from hope, we feel weak from being battered and tossed, we feel worn out from the rain and wind beating on our faces…I want to assure you the distance we feel and think exists, is no match for our Savior who was before the storm and is also with us powerfully in the midst of the storm. As a Father holds His child, He is with you.

At the height of their fear Jesus met them out on the water. He knew their terror and he was aware of the storm. He walked on the water to meet them. As they saw Jesus approach they did not recognize him and instead yelled, “It as a Ghost”.

They added fear to fear.

I want to ask you a question. How many times do we not recognize our savior in the midst of fear?  How many times are we so trapped in fear, doubt and uncertainty that we forget Him and do not recognize His presence? Maybe we try to do it on our own before we turn to God and pray. Maybe we live in the storm alone without calling on anyone to support us and pray for us. We are so focused on the fear that we do not recognize Jesus is with us or His presence amidst the trial. Friend, He is right there with you, saying:

“Take Courage, it is I: Do not be afraid.”

Peter, the ambitious one, the first to trust and the first to fall, asked Jesus to call him out on the water. Jesus told him to come. By saying this He essentially was telling Peter to trust him, that he could walk on water. Saying I am here with you. I have led you and called you to this place and you can do it because I am your strength. Fix your eyes on me. Peter with boldness stepped out on the water, but as soon as He saw the wind and waves he feared again and began to sink.

Jesus says this same thing to us too. He says, I am with you and you can come to me. I am in this storm with you and you can walk over it and have victory over it but not in your own power. If you look out at the circumstances you will only continue to fear but if you look at me and trust in me you can do it. It is a natural response to fear and sinking.

We have all chosen the path of Peter. Jesus knows this about us, he knows that we oftentimes have our hearts set on Jesus but then our emotions get the best of us. We have good intentions to focus on Him and trust Him in the storm but our fear and doubt consume us. I can picture Peter slowly sinking in doubt, maybe waves were crashing up over his face, maybe he wasn’t the best swimmer and He cried out, Lord Save me! In desperation, Peter knew that there was no hope of him living, unless- Jesus saved him. I want to pause there for one second. There would be no hope for us either unless Jesus saved us.

Immediately Jesus held out his hand and said, and I can imagine he said this with gentleness in his voice,”Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?”. The wind and waves stopped and Jesus and Peter got back into the boat. The disciples worshipped their Savior.

He says this to us as well, “Oh you of little faith, why do you doubt me?” He wants us to know: I am in the storm with you, I was before the storm with you, and I have complete power over this storm. We have a great and mighty God who has power over every single storm in our life.

No battle is too big, no emotion too large, no sin too entangling, no grief so debilitating, he has power over the storm. He wants us to recognize that, and He wants us to worship and have faith in His unfathomable power. God wants us to trust that in His power. He wants us to be able to walk in the midst of the storm with our savior without sinking. We will go through storms, that is actually a guarantee for this life. But if Jesus is our Lord and Savior we have the power over the storm standing with us and holding our hands.

I want you to picture a snow globe. I want you to imagine you and Jesus holding hands in the center of the snow globe. Those center figurines never move. They are stationary. Then the snow globe gets shaken up, and turned upside down and the glitter or flakes of snow swirl around the figurine in chaos. This is how the storms of life are meant to be.

With you and your savior, the God and rock of your salvation. He says who shall you fear? I am your God. You are immovable with your savior. He holds your hand is with you through the calm and the chaos and He loves you so very much. He has complete control over every moment of your life and even if you do doubt, even if you have a hard time remembering you are a stationary figurine as the storm swirls around you. Even in the moments you fall like Peter, He will rescue you. Have Faith my friend. You are never alone.

For those who are in a storm who do not yet know Jesus, the savior of the world. I want to encourage you today that Christianity is not a religion. It is not a list of do’s and dont’s and rights and wrongs. It is an active communion and relationship with the King of the world who has joined us in the journey of life, who comes along side of us, holds our hand, guides us, saves us, protects us and leads the boat of life. He gets in with us and calms the swirling storm of doubt. He saves us from our life of sin and says I am with you to face the next step with you and He loves you. If you have yet to put your faith in Him, I encourage you to do so today.

The Lord Bless you and Keep you,
Kara