Dealing with the Storms of Life

In the last blog, I talked about how to overcome fear by looking at the responses of the disciples’ and King David (Mark 4:35-41, Psalm 27). In this blog, we will learn how to deal with storms of life by looking at how Jesus responds to them.

“Out of nowhere, a vicious storm blew over the sea. Waves were lapping up over the boat, threatening to overtake it! Yet Jesus was asleep. Frightened (not to mention confused – how could anyone sleep through this?), the disciples woke Him up. Lord, save us! We’re going to drown! Jesus says, “Please! What are you so afraid of? (Are you having trouble trusting me?) Jesus got up, (he rebuked the storm telling) the wind and the waves to calm down, and they did. The sea became still and calm once again” (Matthew 8:24-26, Voice version).

It’s obvious the disciples have a strong connection with Jesus and have experienced his miracles and power. But their emotions are causing them to be confused, “How could anyone sleep through this?”

Why does Jesus sometimes seem non-responsive?

Have you ever felt like Jesus was silent or sleeping during the storms in your life? And how could he be so relaxed and non-responsive to you as you face this difficult situation in your life?

These questions tend to cause us to doubt God’s love and his power to help us. We have an expectation that if someone loved us, they would help us. And when our expectations are not met, we become disappointed and often lose hope. “Disappointment leaves you heartsick” (Prov. 13:12, Amp). Another translation says, “When hope’s dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing” (TPT).

This is exactly what the enemy wants because he now has control of our thinking (Can I trust God? Can he really solve this?) and our emotions (Does God really love me? I am disappointed and losing hope.) But Jesus is able to save us while he’s sleeping (seemingly silent), as well as when he’s awake (actively working to change our situation).

Jesus’ response to the Disciples

So how does Jesus respond? First, he calms the disciples (What are you so afraid of? Are you having trouble trusting me?) Then he rebukes the wind & waves with the words, “Peace, be still!” (NKJ) or  “Silence! Be still!” (NLT)” or “Hush! Calm down!” (TPT)! Jesus knows if he calms the disciples first and lets them know he understands that they are afraid, they will become peaceful within themselves. And then they will be more open to being calmed IN the storm”. Calming down during a storm in life is our very first priority!

When Jesus was ‘rebuking’ the storm, the Greek word epitimao, means to restrain, to curb its ferocity. Epitimao is also the word used when Jesus rebukes the demons in people (Matt. 17:18, Luke 9:42, Luke 4:41, Mark 9:25), and the fever in Simon’s mother-in-law (Luke 4:39). The demons, the fever, and the storms are all treated as if they are hostile and rebel forces that need to be restrained. Do you understand that these forces are meant to weaken your faith, just as it did the disciples?

Jesus Sees things Differently

It is important to understand that God has a different view of our lives than we do. You might say he has a screen that sees ‘the past, present, and future’. We only have a screen that sees ‘today’. If we perceived what God saw, we would understand the happenings of our lives much better. But we can’t see what God does. So we need a ‘shield of Faith’ that protects and helps us extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And we need ‘Peace’ strapped on our feet in order to face the enemy with firm-footed stability (Eph. 6:16).

How to Respond in a Storm of Life

So the next time you face a storm, let Christ calm your thinking and feelings. He understands and wants to comfort you. Then you will be able to reaffirm your ‘trust’ in him, speaking it out loud. “I trust you, Lord.”

Finally, speak to the storm with these words, ‘In the name of Jesus, I rebuke you, storm: Silence! Be still’. You may be amazed, just like the disciples were, that “even the wind and waves (the storms of life) obey him” (Matt. 8:27)!