Life Ministries

    Let’s take just a few minutes to look at some reasons why storms may come our way;

 #1. They may be brought on by our own stupidity or sin.
The Jews strongly believed that if something bad happened it was the result of sin. An illness, or financial loss, or even a death in the family, all of which were in the storm that raged around Job, were somehow sin related. Or, it may be the result of a bad decision on our part…or it may even be caused by the actions of someone else… and, at times they just seem to happen, and we have no idea why. However, we are told in the Book of James that “These have come in order to test and deepen our faith”…
2^nd. – It may be that the devil just seeks to swamp your boat!  When we set our hearts on doing God’s will, the devil will throw everything – including the kitchen sink – at us. He will use anything to make life miserable and cause fear to overcome our faith.
3^rd. – God seeks to demonstrate his power and faithfulness and strengthen our faith at the same time. Jesus led the disciples to the boat. He told them to set out for the other side of the lake. He who knew all things certainly knew the storm was coming. The whole event was divinely designed by God to increase their faith. Now, I did not say that God caused the storm… I said that God knew the storm was coming, and he used it for his purposes.
    Why would a God who loves us, and cares for us, and provides for our every need, allow this to happen? First, God needed to teach them that they were not as powerful and sufficient as they thought. Notice where this takes place; not in the fields or in the mountains, but in the very environment where they felt the most capable and competent… Yet, they were helpless apart from the power of God.
    Second, God’s purpose is not to make our lives pleasant and trouble free; His purpose is to transform our thinking, our feelings, and our actions…and in order to do that, he needs to re-direct our trust and confidence and faith in Him.
    Jesus had to demonstrate to them, in a way they would never forget, their inability to save themselves. He had to show them that where they were weak, He was strong! He had the power to do the impossible! In this case, it was to completely and immediately calm the storm… And, if He had the power to make even nature obey his command, then there was nothing that He couldn’t do!  We need to learn that same lesson!
    Now, let’s go back to the story of Paul’s journey in the Book of Acts for just a moment; Again we have a ship caught in a storm; those on board feared for their lives; they did everything they knew to lighten the load of the ship and make it through the storm…But, they end up at verse 20 again “We gave up all hope of being saved”… There is one crucial difference in these stories; In Acts, God doesn’t put an end to the storm, in fact, the storm rages until the ship is utterly destroyed. The point of this is that God does not always work the same way to protect and provide for His people…Sometimes he calms the storm…and at other times He changes the circumstances. Sometimes things work out well…and at other times things just seem to get worse!  In one case God simply ended the storm…In the other case God brought them through the storm.
    Which is better? We really don’t know. Only God knows what is best for us. But, remember this, there will be times when God will calm the storm and give us peace…and, there will be times when He expects us to ride out the storm, knowing that He will bring us safely home… even if we have to swim all the way holding on to a broken piece of wood. I have had to do that, but God always brought me through and provided my needs and prepared my faith for the next storm…