Are You In A Storm? – Part 2

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8:27

Matthew records: ‘Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith”? Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’’’ (vv. 25-27). You’ll never really know Jesus, or what He can do for you, until you go through a storm with Him. That’s why He plans your storms as part of the journey. Jesus asked, ‘Why are you fearful?’ He was teaching us that fear will suck the life out of you and drain you dry of joy. When fear rules your life, safety becomes your god. And when safety becomes your god, you seek a risk-free life. But those who are fear-filled cannot love deeply, because love is risky. They cannot give to the poor, because humanly speaking, benevolence is no guarantee of return. And the fear-filled cannot dream. What if their dreams shatter and fall from the sky? No wonder Jesus wages such a war against fear. The Gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives. Of these, twenty-one are to ‘not be afraid’. The second most common command, to love God and your neighbor, appears only eight times. If quantity is any indicator, Jesus sees fear as one of our biggest issues. That’s why the one statement He makes more than any other, and the one He is making to you today, is: ‘Don’t be afraid.’

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me cast my fear on You, knowing in You I shall have no fear. In Jesus’ Name, Amen