Handling the Storms

Matthew 8:24-26

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”

Picture the scene in our passage today. Because the crowd was pressing around them and Jesus wanted to get some time with just His closest followers, He determined it would be best to go to the other side of the huge Sea of Galilee. The disciples set out in a boat with Jesus and only had to sail about 8 miles to get across.

Several of them were seasoned fishermen who had lived their whole lives in boats and on that same body of water. They also knew the weather patterns and had many times gotten out of the way of a coming storm or just avoided those bad days altogether.

But the Scriptures make it appear as though they were caught by surprise and they panicked.

Did Jesus know this was going to happen?

I have every reason to believe He did.

Even though He anticipated it, He was at peace so He took some time to rest.

Pay attention to this small tidbit of information. God is never wringing His hands about our future. He does not even get frustrated at the way we respond to what is going on around us.

Do you wonder why God allows intense, life altering storms to unexpectedly hit you when you least expect it?

To Him, this world is His training ground that gives Him opportunities to teach us, to shape us, to help us grow up. It's also during times like these that your faith is revealed for what it is and the revelation is important for you.

God already knows your heart and He is not surprised. He could rescue you at any time, but sometimes He is waiting for you to realize you need Him and those storms drive you to your knees to cry out to Him.

Even if you think that He is asleep while you are drowning in the struggles of life, He is right there with you and can save you with a word.

What is important is that you decide, “no, I will not panic but will wait for Him with a thankful and expectant attitude. He will come through for me. I will trust Him.”

Some of you may store extra supplies for a future disaster so that you will have cans of food ready when the power goes out. Well, you also need to be prepared spiritually for when you think you will be in the dark and in trouble.

The way you do it is to grow your faith now by depending on Him every day and taking each day’s struggles to Him.

Another way to prepare is to memorize verses that remind you of His faithfulness and His power.

Your soul needs to be reminded, like the writer in Psalm 42 who spoke to himself when he said, “Why are you downcast, oh my soul.”

You will be better able to handle future storms because you are already in tune with His heart for you and you have prepared your mind for action through meditating on His word.