Storms come. It’s a question of when will they come. And our individual storms look different. They could be in the area of finances, health, disappointment, divorce, addiction, relationships or unemployment. But in Christ, all storms can have a peaceful outcome.
When storms come, the temptation is to discount God’s Word. Then we tend to judge His Word according to our circumstances and we allow whatever confronts us in the natural, to roar louder than what God has spoken.
“Go to the Other Side”
There is an account in the book of Mark, where Jesus sent His disciples to “go to the other side.”
After Jesus fed the 5,000 men and their families, we see in Mark 6:45b (NLT) that “Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home.”
Then Jesus went to pray.
Later that night we see in Mark 6:48 (NLT) “He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them,”
Jesus saw them in distress, yet scripture says “He intended to go past them”. Why? I believe Jesus knew that they had enough knowledge and authority in them to deal with the storm and get to the other side.
But did the disciples know what they had available?
Jesus is stamped with the nature of the Father, so He would never leave anyone helpless (Hebrews 13:5). His Word is the mandate and sufficiency to get anyone to their individual “other side.”
What incentive does God have to undersupply anyone for the commission He gives? Surely, an undersupplied body will underperform.
What is needed is a soft, humble heart that would receive His Word without resistance. So, humility is the grace activator (I Peter 5:5). Humility submits to God and His Word. From this position, His Words in anyone’s mouth is their offensive weapon against the enemy (Ephesians 6:17) – authority in practice!
Practical example:
Have you ever received a promise from God that seemed so real you thought you’ve already got it? With a picture in your heart so vivid you could do the happy dance right there?
But then life happened. Time elapsed. Then came the storms of life, and none of them agreed with that promise.
All excitement dwindled. Your mind filled with questions. You moved from believing to questioning, doubting, or even turning away from that promise.
We’ve all experienced this. I strongly suspect it has cost us answered prayers because we didn’t keep on until the end.
The disciples were men, not yet filled with the Holy Spirit and Jesus expected them to accomplish His mission. We have access to the Holy Spirit – the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).
Do we fully realise what we have inside?
Blog post image credit:
unsplash.com, photos/KrQJzrZiCak.
