5 Things You Can Learn in a Storm
By: Sharon Brandon
Tags: Christianity, Religion And Spirituality, Religion And Faith Book, Creative Writing, Religion

Photo unsplash.com

If you have been walking this life for any length of time, you are well acquainted with what we call storms. Storms are those times when everything seems to be in turmoil and out of our immediate control.

Webster defines a storm as:

· A violent disturbance of the atmosphere, attended by wind, rain, snow, hail, or thunder and lightning; hence, often, a heavy fall of rain, snow, or hail, whether accompanied with wind or not;

· A violent agitation of human society, a civil, political, or domestic commotion, sedition, insurrection, or war, violent outbreak; clamor; tumult;

· A heavy shower or fall, any adverse outburst of tumultuous force; violence;

· A violent assault on a fortified place; a furious attempt of troop to enter and take a fortified place by scaling the walls, forcing the gates, or the like.

I have been hearing a lot lately about people who are going through something. Much is happening in the world today. We are finding people who are faced with situations that they have never dealt with before. People are troubled about the economy and how they are going to keep up with the basic necessities in life. People are losing loved ones at what seems to be an alarming rate.

Hearing these things from friends, associates and family caused me to even reflect on past situations. August 10–15th of 2008 was a devastating period in my own life. I lost my ex-husband (we were planning to reunite) and an aunt on the 10th; an uncle on the 12th and my mom passed after midnight on the 14th though her death certificate says she died on the 15th of August 2008.

I have been thinking about how I felt during that time. It was like being in a whirlwind or a storm. I want to share how God brought me through that time and I want to share it in a way that gives hope to the people that cross my path. If you are reading this book it is my prayer that it will help you. If you are presently in a storm you can glean from the information. If you are just coming into a storm, this book can offer you guidance in how you walk out the process you find yourself in at the present time. If you have been through a storm, it is my hope that you can relate to what is written in these pages and in some way, find yourself. No matter where you are in this process, and even if you do not profess to be a Christian, I believe you can receive something of value.

Matthew 14:22–33 (KJV)

22And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

23And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

24But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

25And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit, and they cried out for fear.

27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.33Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

This is a very familiar passage of scripture. I imagine that most, if not all of us, have at some point heard this story. In this fourteenth chapter of Matthew, we find several things occurring. It begins with the fame of Jesus reaching the ears of Herod who is the King at the time. Herod believes that this “Jesus” he is hearing about is really the spirit of John the Baptist. That story is told here earlier. John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin. Mary was the mother of Jesus and Elizabeth, who was Mary’s cousin, was the mother of John the Baptist. You can read the familial account in the first chapter of Luke. John the Baptist had rebuked Herod for marrying his brother’s wife. Now the problem was not the marrying of his wife. In the culture of this time, it was not strange to find the next male in line marrying a brother’s wife if that brother had died. This was done to preserve the inheritance of the family; in this case, though, Herod’s brother had not died. Herod divorced his wife and his brother’s wife divorced him and the two then married which was an unlawful thing to do. (Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21)

16Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.

21And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.

It was because of this that John the Baptist rebuked their union, which angered both Herod and the woman he married. Herod would have killed John when he rebuked him, but he was afraid of the crowds of people who respected John as a prophet of God. John said of himself in John 1:23:

23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord…

During his birthday celebration Herod’s new wife, using her daughter, tricked him into beheading John. She had her daughter dance for him which he enjoyed so much that he offered her anything she wanted up to half of his kingdom [must have been some dance]. When she asked her mother what to ask for, her mother told her to ask for John the Baptist’s head on a charger (or platter). When she asked for John’s head the king had to grant her wish as he had offered her whatever she wanted up to half the kingdom in front of all those who had come to celebrate with him. This saddened him, but he had to honor his word or face being seen as weak in the eyes of the people.

We are told that the disciples came to retrieve John’s body; that they buried him, and then went to tell Jesus all that had happened or all that had occurred. As we continue reading the text, we see that Jesus, after hearing this news, that he and the disciples board a ship and sail off. He has gone, the Bible says, to a desert place.

Note: What I found particularly interesting in my study is that there are four basic types of deserts: (1) hot and dry; (2) semiarid; (3) coastal and (4) cold. Although deserts are dry places, they are formed by wind and water and that water is in some proximity of the desert area. To me, this says that no matter the situation, the Word is there. It also speaks to the Word, at times, being the cause for the desert conditions.

A hot and dry situation in our life comes to kill off things and the hotter and dryer conditions for us the more we awe become aware that there are issues in our life. Semi-arid situations reflect back to us and produce knowledge that there is a severe lack of water (or Word) which is, in turn, is hindering our growth and development. Coastal situations come to pull us nearer to water (Word); and cold or situations that make us feel isolated, come to freeze off things that are attached to us that do not belong. So, the scripture says that they have gone to a ‘desert’ place.

Continuing. The people hear about their departure and where Jesus used a ship, the people follow him on foot. They walk to where Jesus has sailed. Now, when Jesus comes out, He discovers that a multitude of people has followed him. Here the Bible tells us that when Jesus sees all these people that He, Jesus, is moved with compassion and begins teaching them and He heals their sick. This is a powerful statement. In the midst of his own grief, (remember John was a relative), He still finds compassion for others and He meets their needs. I want to submit to you right here, that Jesus is concerned about everything that concerns us. When we pursue Him, when we seek Him, our “needs” bring out the compassion of Christ. To further explain, when we read in earnest, seeking resolution, answers, healing or whatever for the situation we find ourselves in at the moment the Word reaches us in a way that causes peace, love, protection, and safety as we use the information as it applies to what we are facing.

Then it says that the evening comes, and the disciples are concerned because they don’t have any food to offer these people and it is getting late. They suggest that Jesus let people go so that they can go to nearby villages and eat. Jesus, however, tells them they do not need to send them away — He suggests that they feed them. The disciple’s response to this is that they have only two fish and five loaves of bread which in actuality is a child’s lunch that was found in the crowd. Jesus tells the disciples to bring the items to him. He then instructs the people to sit in specific groupings, then looking up to heaven, He blesses, breaks, and gives the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples give the food to the multitude (v. 19). We are informed that all did eat, that all were filled and that at the end of the meal 12 baskets were gathered of what was leftover.

There are some key things that happen right here.

First, the Lord wants to supply our needs. (It was His suggestion that they feed them.) The Lord can take what you have, increase it for your need, give enough to share with others and then make sure you have more than enough — because it says here there were 12 baskets of fragments, after all, was said and done — they fed 5,000 men, not including women and children. AMEN. The Lord wants us to share in the blessing or the work of the ministry. After He blessed the food, He broke it and He gave it to the disciples and then the disciples gave it to the people. What we are to see in this is that we are to give only what the Lord gives us to share. We also are shown how grace works. If we read our Bible, we know that it tells us how Christ sent the disciples two by two to minister; we know that five is the number of grace and that bread signifies the Word as the Bible tells us that Jesus is the “BREAD” of life. And Jesus, himself, is the Word of God. The fish here represents the disciples (two by two is how Christ sent the disciples) carrying the grace (5 loaves) of the Word (Jesus) to the people. The multiplication came as the disciples did the work. Hence, as we use our gifting, the Lord increases us in our gifting. A word of caution here would be to remember that we only give the people what Christ has blessed and given to us to give. We must resist the urge to give our opinion, thought or ideas. We must give people Jesus Christ — His Word which producing His anointing! There are those who would argue that we are to pour ourselves into people. They justify this thinking with the scripture that talks about Jesus and unlearned and ignorant men. (Acts 4:13)

13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

The implication is NOT that we are to pour ourselves into men, but rather that we must pour Jesus or the WORD into men. We are not told to make clones of ourselves. Any thinking along these lines is false and should be abandoned. There is no need to meet someone and know what local vine (church building) they attend, rather we should meet someone and know they are being taught the Word and see the characteristics of the Word formed in the person. We have made too many stars in the kingdom when only one is worthy of glory and He is GOD!

Background

Now we come to our subject or thought for today. After this meal, Jesus immediately tells the disciples to get in the boat and go to the other side and that He will catch up with them. He sends the multitude on their way, and He goes and prays. It is late in the evening when He realizes He is alone. The Bible mentions that there is a storm now on the sea and recalls that the disciples are out in the boat.

Note: Of particular interest is that in Mark’s version of these events, it states that Jesus sees them toiling at sea…

48And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: [Mark 6: 48]

Nothing is beyond the Word’s reach or understanding.

Jesus waits until the fourth watch which is between 3 a.m. and sunrise and then He goes out walking on the water towards the disciples. Picture this, if you will, the disciples are in a boat that is being tossed by the current and waves due to the storm, [keep in mind that storms are not unusual for fishermen — there was something unique about this storm] they look and see what looks like a person walking towards them — they know where they are — that there is no land and they figure this must be a spirit and they cry out in fear. Jesus hears them and tells them… “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid…” It is here that Peter says, “If it be you, Lord, bid me come”. Now Jesus is Jesus, so He says, “Come”.

Now because Christ is not a man that He should lie, He had to call Peter. Here is where we find the first thing we can learn in a storm. Peter now had to make a decision to either stay in the ship or step out of the ship and go to Jesus. He has placed himself in a situation by his own request. Now would he make good on the response he received, or would he change his mind and remain in the boat?

If we would be honest with ourselves, we have placed ourselves a time or two in Peter’s position. We may even be able to recall the advice we were given to “not write a check that our butt could not cash”. We probably can recall times when we have made statements and requests hoping that they would not be challenged only to have our worst fear come true. Peter can be seen here as either zealous or arrogant. Either way, he is now faced with himself. What will he do next? What did you do?

There is much to be realized when we become serious about change in our lives. Storms can make us think that many reasons exist as to the cause of our circumstances; however, the decision to remain in turmoil, run to escape it or face it is ours alone. We can do nothing or pretend it is not happening and continue being tossed and turned in an unhealthy situation, or we can run to avoid what inevitably finds us over and over again, or we can stand and face and deal with what we have been presented to us.

28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water

Leaving Your Comfort Zone

28And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

The first thing you can learn while being in a storm: You may have to leave your comfort zone.

The storm is raging, and though the boat is being tossed, there is a certain amount of comfort in being in a place that is familiar. We can see our life in this same way. We can be on a job that we know grace has run out and that we need to move on to the next thing; however, because we have been on that job for so many years, there is a certain amount of safety we feel. No matter that we hate where we are, and that we are constantly complaining, we are reluctant to move forward. Or, it could be a relationship we know is not healthy, and it really was not healthy, and it was toxic from the beginning, yet because we have been in this thing for years, we are reluctant to admit it was a mistake and move forward. We are content to complain and stay in the misery.

Once we have made the decision to follow Christ and we ask him to live His life through us, He begins to change the course of our life. Now, what does that mean? When we make the decision to use the Word as our compass for living, the Word changes the patterns or the way we handle situations. These changes often cause turbulence and we can feel like we are in a storm. The Lord is wanting to change us in every way. It is during this time that we must make some decisions. Either we will “move”, or we will ignore the invitation and remain stagnant. There are so many people who are stuck right in this position in their walk with Christ. The scenario goes something like this:

We come to the Lord in prayer asking Him to move on our behalf because we want changes in our life, relief from a situation, or we want more of His presence. The prayer goes up before the Lord who immediately implements change. We diligently stay before the Lord looking for signs that our request has been received and that an answer is forthcoming. The problem for many of us is that the answer is not coming in the way we thought that it would.

We ask for more patience and every time we turn around something is getting on our nerves. We think we have not prayed hard enough or we have not used the right words or that our prayers are simply not effective, and we miss what is occurring.

The Lord has heard our cries and our pleas, and He has set up situations that should cause us to learn patience. The only way to learn some things that we ask of the Lord is to go through the situation with a different response than what we normally would use. As long as we use the same responses, the longer we stay in the storm. We may tell ourselves that we have missed something and frantically look for more scriptures to quote to cause people and circumstances to change when the Lord is trying to tell us that it is not the situation, people, or circumstance that needs to change — it is us. We must be willing to do something different to get a different result. We must leave everything that is familiar, including people at times to overcome obstacles.

Sometimes when we are wanting people to get us out of our trouble or problematic situation God is trying to develop us for His purposes. It is sad when our commentary is that we have “heard it before” and yet we keep going around the same mountain not understanding the message that is given. Instead of doing the opposite of what we normally do in our test so that we can pass and be elevated, we prefer to be disgruntled and repeat the lesson as if the problem is not with us but must be our set of circumstances. God will continue to give us the same test over and over until it finally clicks, we make the necessary adjustments and then pass the test.

How we approach a storm will determine how long we are in the storm. If we go into a challenge, grumbling, and complaining we are going to be in the storm for a while. If we go into the storm with uncertainty, we are going to be in the storm for a while. How we begin determines how long we will be in it. If we go into the storm with a closed mindset, we are going to be in the storm for a while. Realizing we may have to do something different, something we are not accustomed to doing, say things we would not normally say — things that may be uncomfortable for us, but things that are leading us to Christ and into obedience and the place where God wants us to be are all part of the process. We may have to leave our comfort zone.

Peter now had to step out of the ship and begin a new journey in his life. Moving out of what he would normally do would prove to change his life forever. The same can and will happen for us in the many choices we will need to make as situations arise in our own life.

When the storms of adversity start to rise our first response needs to be that we are about to learn something, that we are ready to learn, and we are glad that the Lord is showing us something new.

Like the eagle, we must be willing to face our storm head-on. The eagle adjusts himself and prepares to ride with the storm instead of against it. He uses the winds to push him through the storm rather than trying to fly against the strain and pressure of the wind. He fixes his eyes, positions his body and uses the gusts to push him up and over the storm. He reaches altitudes that propel him above the storm and remains there until the storm passes.

We can learn a great lesson from the eagle. Knowing we are not alone in our storm, knowing that if we position ourselves according to the Word of God, we too can fly above and remain above the storm until the adversity passes. It is no wonder that Scripture compares us to eagles. We indeed possess the ability to rise above every circumstance, every situation, every storm and use them to push us further in the direction of maturity, security, wealth, health, and promise. Eagles it is time to soar!

29And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Learning Who Your Friends are and the Power of Forgiveness

The second thing we can learn in a storm: we can learn who our friends are and what it means to walk in forgiveness.

Peter was not the only one in the boat. His friends heard his bold request and said nothing. They could have talked some sense into Peter. They could have reminded him where they were, presented the conditions of the situation and even gone with him as he stepped out, but, the Bible does not mention them saying one word. They sit and watch how this thing is going to play out.

Sometimes when we are in a storm, we look to others for help, for comfort, for direction, for strength and we don’t find it. It is during these times that we begin to think about how we have helped the very people who are not helping us in our time of need. Or, we start feeling some type of way because we look at the lives of those around us, especially if they are not living for Christ as we are, and we don’t understand how things seem to be going well for them and all hell is breaking loose in our lives. Seemingly, then to add to that, it appears we cannot find anyone who wants to take this journey with us, someone to just be there. We may question whether these people are our friends after all. I mean, really, friends are genuinely supposed to be there for support. It is here that we learn that in some places we must go, and in some things that we must face, our friends nor family can go with us. It is not meant for them to go. God is strengthening us. He is building our faith and we must forgive even those who could help and do not. It is not meant for them to get us out. We are learning here, and it is our test and our test alone. You will never know what is in you until you are tested. You will never understand what it is to trust Jesus until Jesus is all you have to lean upon. What does that mean? You will not have confidence in the Word until the Word is all you have to rely on.

Note: I am also reminded of Job’s story here. This passage is often used to describe friendships gone wrong. However, if we really read this as it is, what we have been taught and originally believed is not exactly what happened. We were taught that Job’s friends came to ridicule him, but that is not so. The Bible states that when they first came to Job, when they looked upon him, that because of his condition they merely sat with him. They stayed with him for many days without saying ONE word. [read it again].

We are a generation of people who do not want to go through anything. We want things to happen when we want them to happen and we want them to happen the WAY we want them to happen. Are not you glad that God knows what we need and when we need it? Far too often if we had to depend on what we thought we needed, we would end up in a bigger mess. Leaving a place of comfort and trusting and relying on the Lord (Word) alone equips us for the greater that God has for us. We want God’s best. God knows what it will take for each of us as an individual to achieve His best. This, too, is why we cannot afford to point fingers at one another in times of strengthening and growing. God alone knows what we need, and our curriculum or course of study is tailored to our personal needs. Our objectivity and opinions of what we think we know or see for someone else is not needed. One of the quickest ways to ensure that a test will be coming your way is to point fingers at someone’s situation.

Note: Going back to Job’s plight, God was not angry with Job’s friends for what we have been necessarily told. They were sent to comfort and because Job spoke against what God had purposed for his life in this hard time, they became angry with him. God did not call them there to be angry with whatever Job’s response was as God defends Himself [which he so eloquently did with Job]. The friends did not mock Job, but they failed to simply be a support by letting their feelings come into play in a test that was not their own.

Of course, we do not ignore the fact that everyone is not going to be happy about our successes in life. Even though this is true, we cannot afford to walk in un-forgiveness. We must forgive those who do not understand our purpose. Know, too, that at times God will make us invisible to people. God’s glory is to be shared with no man. He wants us to trust and know that He is walking with us through the things we face and that He alone is our true source of comfort, strength, and stability in all things. This is not to say that family and friends will not and should not offer encouragement or lend resources as God allows, it simply means that this should not be our first course of action or sole response. God admonishes us to study His word. This is so that we will be ready for whatever we may face. We buy insurance in case we need it. It is in preparation for what may happen so that we will not be caught at a disadvantage or so that we are no left in a bad position or without resources to recover or compensate. Reading the word until it becomes natural to us is like having insurance.

Note: Once God dealt with Job he realized the error of his thinking and then God admonished him to pray for his friends to restore them as well.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Learning Who You Are

This brings us to the third thing you can learn in a storm: you can learn who you are.

We really learn what we are made of, what we believe, who we really are trusting, and where our faith is when we are going through a storm. What is truly in us rises to the surface quicker in hard times and when we face adversity. It is easy to say that we trust God when we have all that we need. The proof of that trust, however, will readily be seen in times of lack and discomfort. Can we still have joy during the eviction? Will God still be Lord in our life when the vehicle is repossessed? In the face of ridicule and lies, can we bless the Lord as we did when everything was all sunshine and smiles? What is or is not in us will surely surface when we go through something.

It also is important to understand what type of storm we are experiencing. When we know the type of storm we are experiencing, we can determine how to go through it. What do I mean by that? We need to realize whether what we are facing is the direct result of something we did or something we did not do; whether the storm is sent into our life by the enemy of our soul; or whether God has directed us into the storm. Knowing these things helps navigate and strategically gives us the platform or framework of how to grow through it all.

If the storm you are facing has occurred because of something you did or did not do, you can begin by admitting your part, and then repenting and asking God how or what needs to be done to correct the situation and get you back in position. Unconfessed and un-repented sin opens the door for situations that feel like storms.

Sometimes the storm you find yourself in is a direct result of the enemy’s tactics. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8:

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

This is helpful to know in order that you can use the right Word to defeat and defend your position. There is no need to lose territory to the enemy. The word of God tells us that God does not want us to be ignorant of the enemy’s devices It is the enemy’s job to keep us off balance. His mission is to try to make us abort our assignment. Because God dwells in us the enemy can only delay us. Not only do we need to know his tactics, but we also need to know which weapons of our warfare to use — or which one of God’s principles applies to our particular situation. What promise do we need to be confessing? We need to make sure our armor is on correctly and that we are using the armor correctly. Should we be using our helmet of salvation and declaring that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus; that we are more than conquerors, that we belong to Jesus who is the head of our life? Does the situation mean we need to refer to our breastplate of righteousness and is it where it should be? Are we in right standing with God to receive help? We cannot expect God to help us when we are out of alignment with His Word. We must be found living according to the standard that has been set for us. Being in right standing with God means the enemy of our soul cannot continue to trespass in our situations. We then have the legal right and authority to profess and confess scripture that will be backed by all of Heaven because we are in the right position or right relationship with God. We must know that the blood of Jesus covers us, and we are the apple of God’s eye and because of this, no weapon formed against us can prosper. Now understand that the weapon will be ‘formed’, being in right standing means it cannot accomplish what it has been formed to do. Too often Christians think that there is an exemption from trials, struggles, adversities, and plain pain. Christians are not exempt. Everyone has a cross to bear. Another way to say this is that we all have something that we must deal with or face in life.

We need to reflect to see is our belt of truth on correctly or are we using familiar tactics or ways to handle this present storm instead of relying on the truth of the Word of God. There are times when we feel blind-sided and we forget our basic battle strategy and we settle for the things we have always done in certain situations. The problem with now trying to use old ways is that you are no longer living your old life and because you are not living your old life, old things cannot work in your new life. Trying to live from a previous lifestyle will only frustrate you further and cause greater delays in your coming out of the storm.

You will need to check to see if your sandals of peace are fastened correctly. Are you willing to have peace at all costs and to operate peaceably or are you railing and fussing and cussing and accusing while you are going through this storm? All too often when we have no person or thing to point to or pinpoint as our issue, we blame God saying that if he were a good God how is it that he would allow such things to happen to us? I can remember growing up and my mother saying that it was wrong to question God. This actually left me quite confused as a teenager because I had read that we are to take everything to God. I also looked at the fact that we cannot know or clarify when we cannot ask questions. Again, my mind was not clear. Questioning God is not the same as “asking” God questions. What she was trying to communicate to me is to never blame God or accuse God of acting outside of his best for me simply because I do not understand the “why” of what is going on.

Next, are we maintaining our shield of faith? Is the shield of faith in place? Are we declaring and decreeing according to what the word says is true? Or are we believing one minute and not sure the next? Do we continually need signs, wonders, and miracles to believe God’s word is true? Are we able to look past what our eyes see and what our ears hear and hold on to what we know to be true in the word? Do we know enough Word to stand on? These may seem like trivial questions when everything is going according to plan; however, in the face of adversity, it can be easy to forget the wonderful declarations and mountain top experiences. We see this is true right in the word of God. Elijah had just had one of those mountain top experiences where he had challenged the prophets of Baal. God showed up in a miraculous way. Jezebel was enraged and vowed to kill Elijah. Elijah ran for his life, hid and wanted to die. This is the account in 1Kings 18:21–47.

21And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. 22Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. 23Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: 24And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. 25And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. 30And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. 31And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:32And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. 33And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood. 34And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time. 35And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. 36And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. 37Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. 38Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God. 40And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. 41And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Here Elijah has wrought two wondrous miracles by the hand of the Lord. He spoke and acted in full confidence in the word that was spoken to him by the Lord. Many came back to the God of Israel because of these things. Elijah’s faith was in full effect. Then we come to this account in 1Kings 19:1–4:

1And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. 3And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. 4But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

Elijah’s faith was sandblasted at the word of an ungodly woman. An idle threat caused one of the greatest men of faith to succumb, and retreat into a cave of despair. The enemy’s tactics have not changed. We must walk in faith. Ask God to continually strengthen you for your journey.

Now let’s talk about our sword. Are we wielding the word (Bible) as we should be or have we tossed the Bible aside completely and are we using our own predetermined knowledge to guide us? If we allow the enemy of our soul to force us into our reasoning, or our own way of thinking and maneuvering through life situations and in obtaining goals, we can be assured that the storms of life will be raging. We have been given principles to live by in the word. These principles lead, protect, guide and keep us in alignment. Deviation leads to separation and separation removes boundaries and safety. There is a word for every circumstance we face in this life. We must appropriate it according to the tools we have been given without changing course. The word is truly our protection.

Finally, is this storm a result of God’s leading? The Bible says that Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat and to go…We need to know whether we are in this storm as a direct result of being obedient to what the Lord told us to do. Too often we give the enemy credit for what God is doing in us. We seem to think that we should not have to deal with problems, issues, concerns, or troubles in this walk of faith. However, the Bible does not tell us that we will have it easy. In fact, there would be no need for weapons if there never was going to be a battle to fight or a war waged or conflict is given. We must develop to maturity to be all we can be. Know that the word has been tested and found to be without error. Here is the account in Matthew 4:1–11:

1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Jesus is the Word of God and that Word was led in to dry places to be tested by the storms of life before we ever got here to walk through them. The Word went before us to prepare the way.

Learning Who Jesus Is

This brings us to the fourth thing you can learn in a storm: You can learn who Jesus is.

Jesus wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He wants us to know everything about Him as He already knows everything about us. He wants us to know that He is a very present help in the time of trouble. He wants us to be assured that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He wants us to understand that in the time of trouble He is as close as the mention of his name. He is our Provider, He is our comforter, He is our friend, He is a doctor, He is a lawyer, He is strength, He is love, He is the mountain mover, He is the one that will keep you from all hurt, harm or danger; He will protect, He will defend, He gives life; He is the one that can hide you; He opens doors that no man can shut and He shuts doors that no man can open; He is the way, the truth, and the life; He is the only way to God. He truly is everything we will ever need. This is why it is crucial to know the Word of God. Our Bible has what is needed to help in any situation. The Word has been given to serve; however, we cannot avail ourselves to the service it offers if we never come to consistency in reading. You cannot claim a promise that you do not know exists. Even when we take our eyes off Him, He is watching us. The Bible says:

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Jesus is as close as the mention of His name. Now, this may sound difficult to some, Christ Jesus is not our Savior’s name. Christ Jesus is the attributes of the description. Christ means anointed and Jesus means Word and the anointed Word is our Savior. Even when we have lost focus, if we call on Him, He is faithful to hear us and when He hears us, He comes to deliver us. He wants us to know Him in a personal and real way. He extends himself. We teach that Jesus stands at the door and knocks and if we allow Him entrance — meaning into our hearts (mind), into our life, into our circumstances, He will come and He will become involved and He will see us through the situation. His love for us, His care and concern for us is the reason why He came. He came to give us life and not only life but, that, we might be able to live abundantly by the Word.

Side note: For some years I found it hard to reconcile Jesus. My understanding had not been clear. I believed He came as a natural man to give us in the natural what we would need spiritually, but I could not see how that worked for me in the real world. I now understand that the written Word or scripture is our Lord. Right here is where I may completely lose some of you. The Word does not say ALL Bible is given by inspiration of God… The Bible actually says in 2Timothy 3:16–17:

16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

We know that ALL scripture is not written in the Bible. I believe this is the reason the Word says All scripture rather than just saying the Bible is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…

We know that there are many books that were not included in our Bible though we are not clear as to why they were not included. We do have several speculations. One popular train of thought follows.

Why were they not included? There are several reasons for the exclusion of these books. Many of them lacked apostolic or prophetic authorship, they did not claim to be the Word of God, and they contained unbiblical concepts or serious historical inaccuracies.

However, the Roman Catholic Church did include certain books to the canon of scripture which they called the Apocrypha meaning “hidden.” They were written by the Jews between 300 and 100 B.C., and the Catholic Church felt they should be included because they consider them inspired. The Apocrypha was contained in the Greek scrolls probably available during Jesus’ lifetime but were not considered a part of the Scriptures. The Apocrypha was not included in the Bible until the 1500s, but Martin Luther objected and decided not to include it in his German version of the Bible.

There are, however, books available that have collections of the “Lost Gospels” and of other “Epistles” that are not found in our Bibles today. Why?

Before the Bible became the book we know of today, there was an official collection of books recognized by the church which were called scrolls (the form of binding used for all writings including books like the Gospels and less formal writings like letters and Epistles). They were very expensive to duplicate, and they were also produced by hand so the early churches shared resources with each other. Therefore, the scrolls were freely circulated among the churches, but concerns arose among the churches that letters and books containing less than Christian ideals were being circulated. So, in 397, the Council of Carthage adopted an official canon of books that were considered to be “in” and books that were to be considered “out.” So, now, we have the official Bible of today with 66 books with an addition of the 14 books of the Apocrypha. [http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/lost-books-of-the-bible-faq.htm]

Back to our study. Jesus walking on the water in the midst of a storm symbolizes how He comes to us walking on the things that trouble us, things that cause us concern. The Bible states in Romans 16:20

20And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly… Amen.

God is telling us plainly that we can be assured that whatever concerns us will be dealt with by Him. The enemy of our soul’s purpose in John 10:10 is stated as

10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

God again is emphasizing that works that come against us and again He reminds us that we need not worry, or lose hope. God is able. Not only is He able, He is willing and not only is He willing, He makes good on His promises!

Peter stepping out of the boat and walking toward Jesus represents communion with Christ. It represents how we are raised with Christ, how the things that trouble us are under our feet; just as they are under Christ’s feet, that we have been made alive in Christ and that we live through Christ and because we live through Christ we are seated in heavenly places and that we can rise above the things we face as we keep walking toward Jesus. When Peter stepped out of the boat he was focused. He kept his eyes on the one who had beckoned him to come. To say this another way:

The Word represents communion with the anointing, it represents how we are raised with the anointing, how the things that trouble us are under our authority, just as they are under the authority of the anointing, that we have been made alive in the anointing of the Word and that we live through the anointing and because we live through the anointing we are seated in a place of protection and that we can overcome the things we face as we keep using the Word.

The Word is crucial to every believer’s life. Without the Word being active in our life we are powerless. I say active because we can have the Word with us and not use it. Without corresponding action, the Word is of little effect.

Peter stepping out was putting action to his belief that Christ had called him. He was obedient to move. For sure there may be times when we fall, but in this, even though, sometimes, we fall, nothing can separate us from Christ. He is as close as the mention of his name.

Learning A New Level Of Trust

The fifth thing you can learn in a storm: You can learn a new level of trust.

The sixth chapter of the Book of Mark also tells this story; however, in Mark, it leaves out Peter walking on water. It does in the fourth chapter, I believe, talk about another instance where they were in a boat in a storm and Jesus was asleep. In this instance, they had Jesus with them when the storm rose. They could immediately go to him. In this instance, though, they were in the storm for a while before Jesus came.

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

In each situation, Jesus calmed the storm. We can take heart, just like the disciples in knowing that Jesus is who He says He is. He does what He says He will do. He keeps His promises. If He said it, then it is so. If He said it — that settles it. We can worship Him in spirit and in truth because He is truth. There is nothing that can happen that can separate us from Him; no storm so great that He cannot see us through. No storm so great that He can’t handle it. No problem, no heartache, no situation… nothing! He waits for us to come — to worship Him.

Psalm 37:19 says:

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

Though we go through tests, trials, and storms, we need not fear that we will be consumed. When we lack in ourselves we can rest assured because Jesus has more than enough.

*Scriptures from King James Bible

(article is a draft)

Copyright Sharon Brandon 2020. All rights reserved. Not to be used without expressed permission.