Whether it’s STORMS or storms, what does a panic response get you? Panic, too often, is the common initial reaction… but we don’t need to continue in that vein. Truly, panic doesn’t accomplish anything. Remember the story in Matthew when Jesus and the disciples were in a boat crossing the sea:
“When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. And the disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us, we are going to die!” 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 there was [at once] a great and wonderful calm [a perfect peacefulness]. The men wondered in amazement, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
(Matthew 9:23-27, AMP – also Mark 4:35-41)
The storm came. The reaction to the storm was fear. Even the disciples who were with Jesus every day and witnessed His acts got into a tizzy. To me this says that when storms do come, it’s ok to react to them, but there’s always an answer and we don’t need to be controlled by the storm.
More important, what can we do when storms come – what are these verses teaching us? First: we need to look to our own faith. Are we exercising it? Do remember the verses in Ephesians that talk about the whole armor of God. And what is faith in our armor? Our shield. 6:16 tells us –
“Above all (or in addition), taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;”
We need to remember that the storm doesn’t control. We have the ability to withstand every storm –
“For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God] (1 John 5:4, AMP)
Faith is strong. But it is WE who decide and act on this. If we don’t act in faith, what is our basis, our foundation? The entire Bible give us example upon example of the importance of faith and acting on it. I believe that it is the storms in our lives and how we respond to them that demonstrates out faith.
Storms’ definition is ‘unexpected’ by us – never a surprise for the Lord. If He is willing to help us through temptations, how much more storms that we never could have prepared for in advance?
