Storms Come and Go—but they have an expiration date.
Mark 4:35-41
Matthew 8:23-27
Matthew 17:20
Storms show up from time to time either with prior warning or unexpectedly. For the first time I got an automated warning from the county about a storm warning, but for the most part you don’t get advanced warnings. They just blow up.
When the disciples were out in the boat on their way to the other side, the lake was calm and peaceful and Jesus was fast asleep on a pillow. A ittle while later the disciples went to him frantically yelling, “Master don’t you care that we perish?” He got up nd rebuked the wind and said, “Quiet, Be still!” and the wind died down and was completely still.
1. Fear Set In: The disciples were overcome with fear of the sudden storm. They had been in storms before but their faith was turning to fear of the worst happening to them. They had been in storms before and knew how things could happen at a moment’s notice.
It was an ordinary day when Jesus told his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side.” He soon fell asleep in the boat and the disciples were not in any danger of a storm brewing. The calm did not last long before they were frantic. Jesus’ response was,”Why are you so afraid?” Don’t you have any faith?”
Jesus had already told them they were going to the other side, not if we can get there. But let’s go. When I say to Barkley, my dog, “Let’s go” he knows that it is settled. We’re going for a walk. We’re going out on the porch to feed the birds. He gets up immediately and goes to the door. My dog has more faith than we do.
When Jesus told the disciples “Let’s go to the other side, it was a positive statement. They were going—not if we can get there or maybe we can’t make it that far. They got into the boat and headed in that direction.
As long as the sun is shining, we find it easy to respond in a positive way; but when adversity comes, the wrong response is fear. Our faith gets weak like the disciples. Master we are perishing. Don’t you see what’s happening and don’t you care? In these times when we feel we are barely hanging on by our fingernails, we panic just like the disciples did. Jesus was in their boat, and they should have remembered the miracles He did and his authority over adverse situations, but they didn’t. They caved in to fear. These men had been with Jesus and you would think their faith would have been up to a 100% or pretty close to it but the bottom dropped right out of it. Master don’t you care that we perish. Jesus calmly went about his business as he woke up and rebuked the wind. He clearly took authority over the wind and waves. He had the authority and the power to do it. Like the old saying, “He took the bull by the horns.” No way was He going to let the disciples perish even if their faith had turned to fear. One minute they were strong in faith and one wrong response caused it to collapse. When he asked them why they were they afraid, they really didn’t have an answer for him. We often make the wrong response even though we know that Jesus has given us authority over any kind of storms that come up unexpectedly or with prior warning. The fear just moves in. We need to learn to nip fear in the bud by doing like Jesus did—rebuke the wind and it will leave.
Get enough of the Word of God into you that you can speak it out with authority and apply it to your situation. The Word of God is “powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus spoke the word and would say, “It is written” when the devil came around. OK, make the word of God a priority.
Do you know where to find the appropriate response in the scriptures? Various scriptures come to mind for specific needs. Apply these scriptures to your situation and speak them out loud with authority. I think it is more effective than to just think them in your mind. When things like the flu or viruses come to attack the body say, “No plague shall come nigh thy [my] dwelling. Repeat as often as needed until you are convinced of it. “No plague shall come nigh my dwelling. Another scripture is, “He sent his word and healed them.” Speak it out. Memorize particular scriptures and send them on their way. Apply them to the need at hand.
2. Distractions: The devil knows how to interject fear thoughts very subtly through doctor’s reports, through the news on TV, and through people and especially Christians who peddle doubt and fear around. We bite on these tricks of the devil and one little statement that comes into our ear can drop our faith level almost immediately and we let it. Here is a scripture to apply.
II Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” If you have a few thoughts come, you can take it captive and take authority over it in the Name of Jesus. Most of the time we fail to do this and let the fears run roughshod over us and magnify them besides.
Be aware of the slightest negative remarks people make to you. Surround yourself with the shield of faith. When people say, “My advice to you is you need to just learn to live with it” that is a statement to take captive. I have had a lot of these little statements coming from Christian people that get me upset rather than me pitchforking them immediately over my shoulder. Take charge of what people tell you. If it is a faith destroyer, take charge and get your pitch fork out.
3. Prolonged Faith: What if the calm doesn’t come immediately like it did for Jesus? That is another faith destroyer because that is when the what ifs and maybes move in.
In another example of Jesus in a storm, Peter thought he saw a ghost but it was really Jesus. Peter says, “If it is really you, tell me to come.” Jesus said, “Come on” and Peter had the faith to step out of the boat but it didn’t last long. Jesus and Peter got back to the boat together but Peter walked on water for only a very short time. In another example in Luke 17:5 the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. He is telling them you don’t need any more faith. Use what you’ve got. He said, “if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). He is telling them that they already have enough faith. Scripture bears this out. Romans 12:3 says, “God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
You are good to go—you have the measure of faith but you need to put it to use and don’t call it back if it doesn’t happen as quick you think it should. Too often the endurance of our faith is short. You have to keep your faith on the job until it is done working. You might say, “Maybe I’ve missed God and this is not what He wants me to believe for.” We give up too soon. What we say stays at work. Distractions are there to make you call in your faith. What people say is a distraction the devil uses to make you doubt and give up and call in your faith before the job is completed. Don’t keep calling it in. If you do, then send it out again. Your responds signs for the package. Abraham was not weak in faith. He was fully persuaded. Don’t give authority to the enemy. Guard your thoughts when people come and give you advice. Say, “I don’t want a sermon and a solution.” It might be exactly what you don’t need. Get your pitch fork out and pitch it over your shoulder. Don’t give up, cave in, or quit. What you’ve got your faith working on shows up.
Conclusion: Storms come and go. They have an expiration date.
The devil brings fear, a faith destroyer, and the words of people to tear it down.
Jesus said to the devil, “It is written” so know the scriptures and speak the word out loud.
Don’t call in your faith before it has completed its work.
Respond like you are going to the other side. Amen
