"Listening To The Storm"

NOTE: Correction- yesterday's opening verse should have been Amos 5:19

"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" Mark 4:35-40

 

When you are going through a storm of life, did you know that it will "speak" to you. "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still." The word for peace is translated: to be silent; hold ones peace. The word for be still means: to stop the mouth, make speechless, reduce to silence. When Jesus rebuked the wind and sea, He literally told it to "shut your mouth and be quiet". 

 

Not only does the storm speak to you, but it does it very loudly. "And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full." It shouts with intimidation and fear. The storm that the disciples were going through was shouting to them that they were going to die; they weren't going to make it; they were going to drown. It was spewing out fear and death. "We perish". 

 

"And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" Why did Jesus rebuke the disciples for not having faith? The rebuke was for not having faith in what He had said, but having faith in what the storm said instead. Jesus had already told them His will. He had already spoken His plan to them. "He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side." He didn't say to them, "We are going to drown on the way; we won't make it to the other side; we are going to die in the sea". No, He told them that they were going to go to the other side. 'To pass over' literally means- to go through. They were going to make it over-- they had His word on that.

 

Are you in a storm? If you are, I can guarantee that it is speaking to you. It is speaking fear, dread, intimidation, hopelessness, anger, guilt, etc. But I also know that Jesus is speaking, or has already spoken, to you. When Jesus speaks, He doesn't shout it at us. When He told the disciples to get in the boat and pass over to the other side, He didn't shout it, He simply told them. He speaks in that "still, small voice". So the question is, "Are you going to listen to the shouts of the storm, or the voice of the Lord?" Are you going to put your faith in what the storm says, or what Jesus says? Whose words are you going to believe? 

 

Have a great day. Are you going to believe what the storm says instead of what Jesus says? 

 

For further reading:

1 Kings 19:12

 

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Coffee Break is a morning devotional written by Lorraine Ezell

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