This blog I can’t take credit for. This was a teaching I heard while I was in the hospital. It was a teaching that Tony Cooke did at an Andrew Wommack conference. It was a tremendous encouragement to me. I’m sure it will be for you as well! I took notes, some of which are Tony’s and some are mine that I wrote down as I listened to the message.
In the natural there are all kinds of storms IE; snow storms, Ice storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. Not all storms are alike. Each has its own response. They all happen for different reasons. Each storm doesn’t bring the same threat. There are different things you do to make it through a particular storm. Snow shovels don’t work during a tornado. You probably know that. The Bible never says we wont have trials, tribulations, and trouble.
John 16:33 (NKJV)–33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,(encouraged) I have overcome the world.”
God doesn’t bring these storms! We live in a fallen world, Satan is the god of this age, ( 2 Corinthians 4:4), and sin has consequences. There is also the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. For good or bad. Yet God does promise a way of escape through His grace. Here is a great promise:
Psalm 34:19 (NKJV)–19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19-20 (PassionNTPsa)19“Even when bad things happen to the good and godly ones, the Lord will save them and not let them be defeated by what they face.
God will be your bodyguard to protect you when trouble is near. Not one bone will be broken.” We are in the world but not of the world and God does promise us victory!
1 John 5:4-5 (NKJV)–4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith.5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
We are going to look at three different storms in the Bible: The first storm is the story about Jonah. (Jonah Chapters 1-4) Do you remember this guy? God told him to go preach to a rebellious people. The were notorious enemies of Israel. Jonah being super spiritual thought that they didn’t need mercy and forgiveness. He was going to put his foot down and dig in his heels. If he did go it would be one judgment and destruction. They don’t deserve mercy and forgiveness. Well as the story goes a great storm arose while Jonah hoped on a ship going in the opposite direction. The crew thought Jonah had done something wrong and was the cause of the storm? They agreed to send him overboard. Yikes! So much for “love boat-exciting and new..” Here comes God sending a whale to swallow up Jonah. Its dinner time-just kidding. I guess it was the only ship available to pick Jonah up? This is a whale of a story. I couldn’t resist. Anyway, so Jonah spends three nights and three days cruising in the belly of a whale. Its dark, cold, smelly and no amenities. He has no idea when check out time is? Eventually Jonah prayed. Say what? You think he would have prayed sooner? Sometimes we just don’t get it. We are our own worst enemy and its not the devil to blame. Jonah was stubborn and not mindful of God. In this dark time he finally repents and turns towards God. The word of the Lord comes to Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh. (Jonah 3:1). oh, the mercy and love of God. The Jonah storm came about because of his disobedience. His repentance got him out of his storm. The whale gave him up-burp! Sometimes our storms are because of our disobedience. Its not God or the devil that caused it. Repentance will bring us out and set us on the right course. Jonah finally made it to Nineveh and a revival broke out. Let us examine our hearts, humble ourselves, and be quick to repent. If you find yourself in this kind of storm remember God loves you no matter what. He wont give up on you! Turn towards God. He is your answer not your problem. Don’t come under condemnation. Rise up from a humble position and obey God!
The second storm is about the disciples and Jesus. We find this story in the gospel of Mark chapter 4:35-41. Another familiar story. We find Jesus preaching from a boat by the sea shore to a multitude. A great sermon by the way. The parable about the sower. A message on faith and the heart conditions. These disciples have witnessed some awesome miracles through Jesus. As evening approached Jesus tells his disciples as we see in this verse:
Mark 4:35-36 (NKJV)–35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.
Mark 4:37 (NKJV)–37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.
Here we have the disciples carrying out Jesus request. Would you think they are in the will of God, obeying what Jesus said? Probably-right. How many think if we are in the will of God, unlike Jonah was at first that nothing bad will happen? Well all hell is breaking loose and they are tremendously afraid of what’s happening all around them. Where was Jesus? In the stern of the boat sleeping on a pillow. Are you kidding me? The disciples horribly alarmed approached Jesus, calling him teacher. Notice they didn’t call him Lord. This was a “Lord Moment.” “I’m not feeling like like a teaching moment right now.”
Mark 4:38 (NKJV)–38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” How many times in the storms of life do we say, “God don’t you care?” Of course God cares! Remember Jesus is in the your boat in the storm. He is not afar off. How did Jesus respond? Mark 4:39-40 (NKJV)–39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” He didn’t say, “I’m sorry guys, I fell asleep, its been a long day.” He didn’t say, “You know I made a mistake we shouldn’t have set sail to the other side , I knew there might be a storm brewing.” There were three mistakes by the disciples in this storm. The first mistake was “Don’t you care ?”, the second was: never interpret the Love of God based on circumstances and the third mistake was, “We are perishing.” Fear will always drive or push you to the worst scenario. (2 Tim 1:7). Panic will always cause you to see the worst possible outcome. But what did Jesus say prior to this? “Let us go over to the other side.” Jesus spoke these faith filled words (Proverbs 18:21) and they were going to come to pass! Jesus didn’t say let us join hand and pray now. Jesus prayed all the time. There is a time to pray and a time to speak to the storm! Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace be still.” The wind ceased and a great calm came upon the sea. Way to go Jesus! The disciples entered the storm being in the will of God. They got out of the storm through spiritual authority and speaking to the storm. (Mark 11:23-24) Jesus didn’t ask his disciples who sinned. “Peter were you cursing again?” “James and John were you you fighting again?” “Thomas were you in unbelief again?” “come on guys.” “Look what you caused.” No, that’s not what happened. Jesus rebuked them for having no faith. “Why were you so fearful?” Not everything is the will of God. We have an adversary, that goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8, James 4:7). God wasn’t trying to teach them something, He didn’t cause the storm. Don’t always assume that a storm in a persons life is because of sin! Oh they did something really bad. A final point is that Jesus spoke the word. It says in Mark 4:17 (NKJV)17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Is this what happened to the disciples in this situation? I think there is some truth in that. Jesus wants us to go to the other side. He doesn’t want us to be afraid. Satan will try to hinder you at times in doing the will of God but he is a loser. (Rom 1:13, 15:22, 1 Thess. 2:18) Stand strong in the Lord, speak to your mountains, and speak to those storms. Rebuke the winds of adversity, speak peace to the storms-“be still!” A great calm of peace will be yours. There can be a rest of faith on the promises of God and an inward peace in the midst of the storm. Hey, I wonder if it was a “My Pillow.”
The third storm is in the life of Apostle Paul. We find this in Acts chapter 27:1-44. Apostle Paul is a prisoner under arrest on his way to Rome in a ship. Paul to, taking a journey by ship. Other people are making decision rather than Paul. Along this journey Paul advised the crew.
Acts 27:9-11 (NKJV)
9 Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,10 saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.”11 Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.
The majority won out and they set sail not, heeding what Paul had said. This storm was caused by the disobedience of others.
Acts 27:14 (ESV)–14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. Acts 27:18 (ESV)–18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo.
Acts 27:20 (ESV)20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. Acts 27:21-23 (ESV)21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship,“
Fourteen days and nights-a long storm! Paul got into the storm through the disobedience of others. He got out of the storm through persevering faith! God told Paul that he would appear before Cesar in Rome. The ship was lost but lives were spared. They escaped safely to land. (Verse 44)
Acts 23:11 (NKJV)
11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
This was the word of the Lord to Paul and it was going to be fulfilled. Gods Word will not return void. It will accomplish its assignment. (Isaiah 55:11, Jeremiah 1:12). Isn’t that good news. God is faithful to His word! Jonah made it to Nineveh, the disciples got to the other side, and Paul made it to Rome. Different storms will come but “greater is He that is in you than he (Satan) that is in the world (1 John 4:4) Don’t get caught up in your storm and forget your destination! Don’t become weary in well doing-you will reap if you faint not! (Galatians 6:9) If the storms are long don’t give up hope! Proverbs 13:12 (MSG)–12 Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around. God is the author of good breaks! He is for us not against us. (Romans 8:31) God’s resources are available to us! In the storms of life we need to encourage each other. That is what the Body of Christ is for. We are not to sit back and judge why a person is in a storm. Leave that up to the person to discern. Lets come along side and minister the love of God. Let us be gripped by our calling and our love for Jesus rather than being gripped by the storms of life. (Acts 20:23-24) In closing a final scripture:
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 (NKJV)–7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed–
2 Corinthians 4:7-8 (PassionNTPsa)7-We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within, so that the extraordinary overflow of power will be seen as God’s, not ours.8 Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out.
God bless and I hope this was encouraging and helpful. What storm are you in? ( 2 Cor 4:18)
Brent and Linda