Storms will come in our lives, both literal and metaphorical. We need not guess about this nor doubt it. Serving Yeshua does not exempt us from this fact. Yeshua Himself warned us. One such scripture is in Matthew 7, where Yeshua speaks of storms coming to those who heard His words and acted on them.
The Two Foundations
24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
There have certainly been a lot of storms across our nation recently. There has been a lot of divisiveness, especially driven by politicians seeking power rather than truth. There has been the issue of sickness amplified by government intrusion into personal liberties. Many are losing their jobs and concerned for their health. There are consistently events like hurricanes or wild fires that physically threaten many. Many are persecuted in varying levels across the globe for their faith in Yeshua. What are we to do?
Matthew 14 gives us a clear picture. We are to call out to Yeshua, listen for His instruction, trust in Him even when there is a storm around us. We are to draw closer to Him, even if it feels risky, like getting out of the boat. Perhaps most important, we are to focus on Yeshua rather than the storm around us.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
I encourage each of you to prayerfully reflect on how you are reacting to the storms around you. I found that I was focusing too much on the wind and waves, the stresses and worries around me. I was not focused enough on Yeshua and trusting Him. Yes I was seeking Him, but like Peter I kept getting distracted by the storm. I was not experiencing the joy and peace that I can have in Christ.
One last encouraging thought, always remember that Yeshua is more powerful than the storms, no matter what storms you face.
23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
I invite you to pray with me:
Father, please help me to seek you always, especially in a storm. Help me to keep my focus on You and Your power rather than being distracted by the wind and waves of the storms around me. Amen.
Shalom
Devotion by John in service to Christ
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