Dealing With the Storms of Life

The disciples are in a big storm on the Sea of Galilee and they are cold, wet and scared. In the last watch of the night they see a figure in the waves. They are terrified and think it is a ghost ‘but Jesus immediately said to them ‘take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27). Peter starts walking on the water towards Jesus. That is until he notices the storm and then he starts to panic and sink. Jesus catches him and says he has little faith. As they both climb into the boat the storm ceases. At this the disciples worship Jesus because they realise that he is the Son of God.

This account of Jesus walking on water as told in three gospels (Matthew 14:22-36; John 6:16-24; Mark 6:45-56), provides insights into how we should face the storms in our lives. Storms such as a sudden bereavement, a bad set of test results or a large financial loss can make us feel bewildered, disorientated and terrified.

However, Jesus calmed the wind and rain for the disciples and God can quiet any type of storm. Therefore even if your difficulties seem insurmountable know the Lord Almighty who created the heavens and earth is with you and he cares for you (Deuteronomy 31:6). Nothing is impossible for him (Matthew 19:26).

God never leaves you nor forsakes you in the storms of life (Hebrews 13:5). He tells us to take courage for he is with us and therefore we don’t have to fear. As long as Peter had his eyes fixed on Jesus he walked on water, as soon as he looked at his situation he began to sink and doubt Jesus’s power.

So the key when we face a storm in life is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. But how do we do that?

• Read God’s word and testimonies to remind yourself of who God is and what he has done. He is faithful and this is the weapon he has given us to fight our battles (Ephesians 6:17).
• There is great power in praise, it lifts our eyes from us to God and can often give us the words to say to him. I love the Psalms as they are so raw and honest but also seek to worship God.
• Prayer is our connecting point to God; we are called to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) because prayer is powerful and changes situations (Psalm 107:28-30). Prayer is how God speaks to us and reassures us.

So if you are in a storm right now know that God is with you, he cares about you and is reaching out to you. Focus your eyes on him and away from your circumstances.

Here are some of my other posts related to this topic:

• How Does God Respond When We Go Through Traumatic Experiences?;
• Not Letting Disappointments and Difficult Times Define You;
• My go to Psalms;
• The Importance of Sung Worship;
• Raise a Hallelujah, Heaven Comes to Fight For Me;
• Difficulty = an opportunity for God to move.
• Pray the Armour of God Often;