The Other Side

I was traveling home from Chattanooga a few months ago and I came up on major construction. Traffic was slow and tensions were high as I inched along the busy highway. I began to think, “I’ve got to get out of this traffic. Is there any other way to get to where I’m going?” I saw an exit and I decided to take it to try to find some other way. Big mistake! I ended up driving on a route vice a freeway and the trip took me about an hour longer than it would have had I just stayed on the highway.

Now I said all of that to say … when we are following God and storms come, we’re tempted to doubt God’s plan for us. You and I are tempted to think, “Isn’t there some other way?” Here’s a word of advice -- Never take the exit ramp off God’s will! If you do, you are a cruising for a bruising. You are always better off to just hang on.

Storms reveal our faith in God’s will. The question is -- Are we going to stick with His plan and His direction or are we going to take the exit ramp and try to make it some other way. Taking the exit ramp off God’s will always leads to more frustration, more pain and nobody has ever said, “I’m so glad I disobeyed God’s will.” But I hear people say all the time, “If I had only followed God’s will, my life would have turned out so much different.”

Storms reveal something else about us.

#2. Storms reveal our faith in God’s protection.

Jesus really gets on these disciples case here. He says, “Where is your faith?” Why did Jesus say this? Because of the obvious fear they had written all over their faces. They were acting as though they didn’t have a God that could handle the situation. Many times our faith is like the mysterious umbrella that most of us have. We know we have it, but on sunny days we keep moving it out of our way pushing it from one place to another. One day when it is raining we don’t know where it is.

That is just like these disciples. They are in the boat with Jesus and they are following the will of God and they still thought they were going to die! Their storm revealed their faith (or lack of faith) in God’s protection. And we do the same thing when we begin to fear and panic when storms come.

There are some truths we need to be reminded of concerning our God. God’s desire is to P.R.O.T.E.C.T. you!

Ø God is Powerful.

Ø God is Righteous.

Ø God is Omnipresent.

Ø God is Trustworthy.

Ø God is Eternal.

Ø God is Caring

Ø God is Triumphant.

When we find ourselves in the middle of the storm, our true faith in God’s protection is revealed. There is a third thing that is revealed about us when we are in the middle of the storm.

#3. Storms reveal our faith in God’s presence.

Walk with me

[v.23] But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

You know, one of the most astounding elements to this story is that while the disciples fear for their lives, Jesus is sleeping. Have you ever felt that way? You’re going through the storm of your life and it seems like God is sleeping. Of course we know from scripture Psalm 121 that God “… shall neither slumber nor sleep.” But you know hat I mean, if we are willing to admit it -- I think that most of have at one point in time in out life. But wait let me paint the picture so that you can see exactly where I’m going with this and how we to can lose faith in the presence of God.