He calms the storm.

Luke 8:22-25 (NKJV)  "Now it happened on a certain day, that He (Jesus) got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.' And they launched out. But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying 'Master, Master, we are perishing.' Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, 'Where is your faith?' And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, 'Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him?"

As I was praying last night, the Lord brought me to these scriptures. This passage has always spoken to me about Jesus being with us in the storm, but the Lord showed me something new last night. (I love it when He gives me fresh revelations from His Word, especially if it's a passage that I've read many times before.) This passage very clearly shows that Jesus calms the storm, but as I read it last night, the Lord showed me that He, Himself, had directed them to cross to the other side. When we are in the midst of a struggle or trial (a storm), too often we think that we are the reason that things are not going right. "If I hadn't done this", or "if I had done that" ... We think that if we could go back and change that certain thing, we wouldn't be where we are right now. We think that if we go through a storm, it's because we've done something wrong. We view it as a punishment from God. But, that's not the way that it is. In this scripture, the disciples were where they should be. They had obeyed Jesus when He told them to cross to the other side. Sure, when the wind started howling, and the waves started crashing against their boat, they took their eyes off of Jesus, and began to look at their circumstances. But let's not forget that they were in that boat because they obeyed the direction of Jesus and took the boat out as He had directed.  Here's a promise to hold on to ... if God told you to step out, and you obeyed, then you know that God will step into your circumstances and calm the storm. He directed you there, and He will take care of it. God brought you to it, and He will bring you through it.  Proverbs 3:5,6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." I know that the circumstances we face do not always make sense, especially when we "know that we know that we know" that we are there because God told us to take a step and we obeyed. But, can I encourage you today to just keep your hand in His, no matter where it may take you, and no matter what you may face? I promise that you will never regret it.

Please let me share something else that God just revealed to me ... verse 25 says that they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another "Who can this be?". Can I suggest to you that God uses trials in our lives to reveal Himself to us in a new way. The disciples asked themselves "Who can this be?". They knew Jesus. They walked with Him daily. And yet, God used the storm to teach them about Himself.  He used the storm to show them that He was GOD. God became even more real to them in that moment. And they realized that He WAS bigger than their storm. God used the storm to teach them about Himself.  May I challenge you to allow yourself to go deeper in your relationship with the Lord and allow Him to reveal new and wonderful things about Himself that you have not yet known? Yes, you may be facing difficult times, but who better to face them with than Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace?

Another promise is revealed here in this passage of scripture, as well. In the midst of their storm, Jesus was there. He was there. Their need brought Him to His feet and He calmed the storm. Wow. Let me say that again. Their need brought Him to His feet and He calmed their storm. No matter what you may be facing today, your storm has the attention of Jesus. He is on His feet, and He is already moving on your behalf to calm the storm. May I challenge you today to allow yourself to be swept off your feet by a loving God who cares about every intricate detail of who you are. He knows every joy, and every struggle. And in those struggles and trials, God has never left you. He is right there, and though the circumstances do not yet reveal it, He has calmed Your storm. It's already done. Wow! God is GOOD all the time, and all the time, God is good!

Pray for us this week. And we'll be praying for you. And please let me know if you are facing something specific so that I can stand in agreement with you. (John 14:14, NKJV "If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.")

Until next time ...