June 17, 2006: Saturday
The Lord spoke:
“The storm is here. It rages in the souls of men. Look to My “text messaging” to see how I responded to a storm. Learn from Me. Do not allow the storm to overwhelm you nor deter My purposes.”
I responded: “Your will be done on earth – right here – as it is in Heaven.”
We read aloud the passages that relate to the Lord dealing with storms.
Before looking at the passages, we need to be sure we understand exactly what the Lord is addressing. He said through the prophetic word, to look at Him in the retelling of these occurrences. Most of the time we look at Peter asking to walk on the water, or the fearful disciples in the boat while He slept. But He said to look at Him.
1. The storm was raging on the sea and He was calmly walking on the water.
2. The crossing of the water with the disciples was even more telling of His attitude. He was asleep.
Jesus tells us now that “the storm” is here right now. Anyone alive in America can tell you that enough distressing is occurring that each and every one in Christ is daily – and even minute by minute seeking to allow the Lord to bring calm to our souls. He calmly walked or slept. Most of us are hanging on for dear life.
However, He wants us to get beyond the “just hanging on” phase and move to resting in the Lord – complete trust.
THE FIRST PASSAGE – JESUS WALKS ON THE WATER IN THE BOOK OF MARK
45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. 46 After bidding them farewell, He left for the mountain to pray.
47 When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. 48 Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” 51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened (Mark 6:45-52).
JESUS WALKS ON THE WATER IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW
22 Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” 34 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret (Matthew 14:22-34).
JESUS WALKS ON THE WATER IN THE BOOK OF JOHN
15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.
16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. 20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going (John 6:15-21).
THE SECOND PASSAGE – JESUS STILLS THE SEA IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW
23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:23-27.)
JESUS STILLS THE SEA IN THE BOOK OF MARK
35 On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (Mark 4:35-41.)
JESUS STILLS THE SEA IN THE BOOK OF LUKE
22 Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. 23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24 They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. 25 And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” (Luke 8:22-25.)
STORMS WITHIN THE SOUL
During 2020 all of us have been under many attacks from the enemy. Because of these, I thank our God that He has given us the strength to withstand volley after volley.
A. DIRECT ASSULTS
Indeed, we have stood in the midst of assault after assault against our mind, will and emotions seeking to drag us into hopelessness. I am sure all of us have asked the Lord if these attacks would ever end. But, thanks be to God, Jesus shows us the way to endure.
B. THE NATION
In the second example given to us by the Lord, Jesus showed so little concern that He was asleep in the middle of it. The Lord is saying the same to His people. “I am with you and I have promised certain results to bring glory to My name.”
Is our faith in our Savior enough that we will rest in Him in the midst of the storm? With such international chaos swirling about us daily, can we fix our eyes upon Jesus and trust Him enough to fulfill His word and ultimately bring glory to His Father? We, after all, are here for Him – His honor and His glory. Holding to Him in the midst of “it” all is a witness to the great cloud of witnesses and to the angels.
I would that I could tell you that I am at that steady point in my life. Right now, I am being “hit” then reeling slightly, and then allowing the Lord to “set me aright.” In other words, I am getting “there” by the grace of God; but I am not to the point of sleeping in a wave tossed boat or calmly walking on water. (Even though the whole Christian life is walking on water.)
But six years ago, the Lord warned us of this present time. Dear friends – this present level of the enemy’s attack may not be the apex of the assaults. If reasonable people we have known have now become unreasonable this may seem strange to our generation. We have not seen such a blatant display of bile. But other generations have seen it. I am sure the German nation cannot imagine how – as a people – they slashed and burned their way across so many neighboring nations. Strange. Demonic. But do we not see the seeds of similar rebellion in our own culture – a madness that is warping our reason? Have not many of us replaced reason with emotion? So many of our fellow citizens are being shaken like rag dolls due to conflicting information. We hear one thing, then an hour later the exact opposite. The enemy wants us to blame each other and eventually to blame God.
Remember in the book of Job, Satan was attempting to get Job to turn on God. That is still His objective.
The witness of Christ in us holding steady under whatever pressure the enemy attempts to bring, is a sweet fragrance in the nostrils of our God.
May we all offer up to our Father the sweet fragrance of holding to and resting in Him.
