We all have to face and go through storms in our lives. Sometimes these storms seem to never end. They seem to take us apart a little bit at a time. These storms come and they seem to rage and try to devour us. They seem to never end. We try to face these storms alone and then fear overtakes us. We start to lose our way and our faith starts to falter.
Storms are a fact of life. Storms in your life come in many different forms: serious illness, disease, accidents, catastrophes, unemployment, lost retirement savings, death, loneliness, hardships, personal problems, lost love and divorce. How do you weather the storms of life? We need to call on Jesus and the Father to calm and take us through the storm. We read in the book of Matthew that when the disciples were in fear for their lives in the midst of the storm, they called upon Jesus.
Matthew 8:23-26 (NKJV)
Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
Through our prayers and faith in the Father and in Jesus, we can and will make it through all the storms that come into our lives. The calm may not come and that moment is when we call upon Jesus and on God. They will calm the storms that rage in our lives. Jesus not only calms the physical seas, but He can also calm the seas within our minds and souls. Sometimes in life we just try to outlast the storm, forgetting to call on the One who can calm it. Do we need to wait until the storms get totally out of control? No, we need to have faith and need to know that God is always there. He never leaves our side. God tells us in Isaiah 41:10: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
We are not to have fear, because we know that God is always with us. It is through our faith in the Father and in Jesus that our calm in the storm will come. It is our faith in Jesus’ calming power and our hastening to call for His help that allows Him to calm our hearts during life’s storms. Let go and let God have total control of the things in your life that you know you have no control over. Pray and pray some more. Fall to you knees and seek the Father there and give Him all of your troubles and fears. Let Jesus calm that storm!
Jesus did not leave the disciples and he will never leave us. He is with us to hear our pleas for his help. He is there to answer us in the midst of our troubles. He tells us in Psalm 50:15: “and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” So in our storms of life, rely on Jesus to carry us through them and, if it is His will, to deliver us from them by putting an end to them. Be delivered! Put all your faith and trust in the Father and in Jesus. In Proverbs it says that he who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered. There is no storm, trouble, heartache or trial that your faith in God and in Jesus will not get you through. Pray, mediate and seek the will of God in your life. Jesus will say, “Peace be still,” and He will calm your storm.
Robert Staton is a member of Spirit Life Fellowship and its Praise and Worship Team.