Luke 8:22-25 and Acts 27:12-25
Here we have two different stories
concerning boats in a storm. They have some similarities, however they have
different outcomes. Today I want to look at the natural, literal, things that
are taking place…as well as the symbolism of the many storms we may face in
life…all of which have the same outcomes, if we cry out to or call upon God in
the midst of the storm. What these two stories are really about is faith
overcoming fear… and understanding that it is our faith in the power of God – and,
our past experiences with God, that will help our faith overcome our fear of
the storm, whatever that storm may be. Whether it is the disciples or the
Apostle Paul, or you and I – it’s all about knowing and believing that God is
who He says He is, and that God can do what He says He can do!
A. C. Dixon once said “When we depend on
organizations, we get what organizations can do. When we depend on education
and technology, we get what the limitations of education and technology can
give us; both of which depend on man and what man can do. But, when we depend
upon and call upon God, we get what only God can do!Do you suppose it is possible that we have become so self-sufficient that we think we don’t need God? While we may be quick to answer “No way” think about this; If we get sick, we go to the doctor; if our property is destroyed or stolen, we file a claim; when we need food, we go to the grocery store; when we need clothes, we go to the clothing store; when we need money, we go to the bank or we go to plastic; If we have relational problems, we go to counselors; and many times, when the storms of life come at us, we either persevere in our own strength, or we draw from the help of family and friends…Not that any of this is wrong or bad, but we have to ask the question; “Where is God?”… “Who needs God?”
We can imagine at first, the disciples were probably relying on their own knowledge and skills as fishermen and sailors. They had certainly experienced storms before. It wasn’t until they realized that they were about to go under that they finally called out to the Lord, and were saved.
It had been a long day of ministry for Jesus, so he withdrew to the stern of the boat and collapsed into a deep sleep. The disciples hoisted sail and set out to make the five mile trip across the lake. Then, unexpectedly, “without warning” Matthews account of the story says, they were in the midst of a terrible storm. Symbolically, God uses this story to remind us of a world where storms rise up out of nowhere and blindside us. If you have ever suffered a life threatening disease, you know this world. When the Dr. comes back with a bad report, or the phone rings in the middle of the night and a voice says; “I’m afraid I have some bad news”…you know this world. Notice that even when Jesus is in the boat…the storm comes!
Listen to the cry of the disciples; here in Luke they cry out “Master, Master, we are going to drown!”... In Matthew they say, “Lord, save us, we are going to drown!”... And, in Mark they cry out “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”...I think that all these things were said, and probably more! In the story from the Book of Acts – verse 20 says that “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved”…What had happened? Their faith had become paralyzed by fear! In reality, their problem was not the storm raging around them…it was the unbelief within them! You see, fear will always maximize the problem and minimize God…
There is a true story of how the storms of life washed ruthlessly over one man named Horatio Spafford. Some months before the great Chicago fire in 1871, he had invested heavily in property on the shore of Lake Michigan…but his holdings were wiped out by the disastrous fire. Just shortly before this, he had experienced the death of his son. Desiring a break from all the stress for his wife and daughters, and wishing to join D.L. Moody in an evangelistic crusade in Great Britain, Spafford planned a European trip for his family. In November of 1873, due to last minute business, he had to remain in Chicago, but he sent his wife and daughters on ahead as scheduled. On November 22nd. their ship was struck by another vessel and sank in 12 minutes. Several days later the survivors finally landed in Wales. Mrs. Spafford immediately cabled her husband with just two words; “Saved alone”… Shortly thereafter Spafford left to join his wife… and somewhere in that trip he penned these words that described both his grief and his faith; “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, It is well, with my soul”.
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”…
2nd. – 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.
3rd. – 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…
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