For My Friends In The Storm

I have discovered something: many of my friends are in a storm. There is one thing about a storm: you are either in one, coming out of one, or heading into one. You can bet that Jesus, the very one whose voice calms the storm has a lesson to teach in a storm.

My last post was about my current battle with spiritual warfare. Through my bout with battles in the heavenlies and my friends’ storms I realize that peace is a welcome guest in our hearts. We should treasure and celebrate the moments of peace we experience. Did you get that? Don’t just abide in the peace, celebrate it! Praise God for it! Worship Him!

The gospel of Mark in chapter 4 records Jesus calming the storm with just a word, Quiet which translates as Peace. The gospel of Matthew also records a storm. Jesus responds quite differently in this account. Instead of being the boat like like in Mark’s storm, Jesus walks out in storm to meet the disciples. They spot Him in the distance. The disciples cry out to Jesus. Much to their dismay, Jesus does not calm the storm. In the midst of the panic, Peter calls to the Lord. The Lord instructs Peter to come to him. Peter steps out of the boat onto the water and begins walking to Jesus. Can you picture this? Oh, it gives me chills to think of such a sight.

Peter realizes that he is walking on the water, panics and begins to sink. He calls to the Lord to save him. The Lord reaches His hand out to Peter and saves Him.

There are so many lessons to be learned from this story. But the message I want my friends in the storm to see is this one: Jesus did not calm the storm before He asked Peter to come to Him. Don’t wait for the Lord to calm the storm. Calming the storm may not be His best for you right now. His best for you is to step out of the boat into the storm and walk with Jesus through the storm.

My spiritual warfare? Well, my home has a fortress around it and is being defended by the Word of God. I am stronger from the battle, oh, and so is the rest of my family.

For His Renown