Friday, 20 September 2013

The facts about the storms you face

MARK 6:45-51
Introduction

This text reminds us the fact that Jesus is the ultimate source of our peace. The storm, fear of death and despair greatly disturbed their peace and made their soul restless. The fear of disciples in this context parallels the fear we face in our lives at times. Though we may have never been in a ship during a storm on the Sea of Galilee, we all get into storms from time to time. When we do, first we can count on Jesus to come to our rescue as He did for those 12 men in that boat. Second the storms that we face are under His control, they are part of His plan and they are temporal. The disciple in the boat were afraid of fear and death Jesus appeared to them in the midst of their and said unto them "Be of good cheer", it was as if He were saying to every one of us, "Do not fear the storms of life!" That is a lot easier to say than it is to do, but there are several good reasons why we should refuse to fear the storms life brings our way.

I. V. 48; 51 Storms Are Under His Control

The disciples are terrified. They are struggling, and they are afraid that they are going to die. Jesus, however, uses the very thing they fear as a means to come to them. He demonstrated His control over their situation by walking on the water and later by calming the storm. We serve a mighty big God! Job describes His power like this, Job 9:5-13. There are times when life appears out of control, but let me remind every child of God today that Jesus is still in control of your life. He is still walking on the waves of your stormy life and has the power to calm those waves at His will. Therefore, He is absolutely worthy of our trust and of our faith. He is in control!

II. V. 45 Storms Are Part Of His Plan For Our Lives

The disciples were out there in that boat in the middle of that storm simply because they were in the will of God. They were in the storm because Jesus sent them there! Look out for these preachers who tell you that it is never God's will for the child of God to suffer or go through tough times. They are preaching a lie and are false prophets! The truth is, storms are to be expected, but not feared. They have been sent to us to help us grow more into the image of the Lord Jesus - 2 Cor. 4:17. There are 2 things to remember during any stormy time of life: 1. God knows where we are and what we are facing - Job 23:10 2. God allows what He does for our good and for His glory - Rom. 8:28

III. V. 51 Storms Are Always Of Limited Duration

I am sure the Disciples thought that they were finished. It probably appeared to them that this storm wasn't going to end before they themselves have perished in its fury. However, when Jesus came on the scene, He was able to show them that there is always an end to the storm. Never forget that this storm that you are in today, or the one you may face tomorrow did not come to stay, but they all just came to pass.

Conclusion

Dear friends fear takes a different shape for everyone some fear old age, others fear disease, some fear dying, others poverty. Whatever name we attach to it, the fact remains that we are all afflicted from time to time by fear. In all honesty, we would have to admit that most of the time our fears do not materialize. We worry over things that never come to pass in our lives. When the storms of life are raging, always remember that Jesus is there for you. He longs to comfort your heart and replace your fears with His perfect peace - Phil. 4:6-7; John 14:27. To do this, you must first be willing to cast you cares onto Him and to come to Him by faith, 1 Pet. 5:7; Matt. 11:28. As your life unfolds, do not make Jesus your last resort; rather make Him your first resort. God Bless you
Yours in His service
G. Paulraj


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