A Life-storm: Matthew 8:23-27

Have you ever been in a storm? Yes, it started snowing in my home town, Flagstaff, Ariz., in December of 1967 and didn’t stop for 8 days. When it ended 96 inches of snow had fallen! Now that was a storm! Wrong kind of storm! Have you ever been in a Lifestorm?

Jesus’ disciples found themselves in both, a storm and a life-storm! There are lessons for us to learn from their storm. The history of this event is recorded in Matthew 8:23-27.

Because of the enormous crowds following him Jesus decided to go from one side of the sea of Galilee to the other. Matthew 8:23; “And when he got into the boat his disciples followed him.” (ESV) They crossed over the Sea of Galilee by boat. When Jesus got into the boat the disciples followed him and got into the boat with Him.

Before they were done for the night they would end up in a lifethreatening storm. It’s important to note they were in the boat with Jesus! That is the right company to keep if you’re going to be in a storm.

If you have not been in some of life’s storms yet, you will! We all have life-storms! They are times of sadness, stress, loss and generally hard times. It doesn’t matter who you are you will have life-storms! They can be emotional, spiritual, physical, family, financial and things yet to be defined as tough times, but they will come to you as they come to all of us!

When your life-storm hits it’s important to be in the boat with Jesus! That means you have joined Him in a powerful relationship by faith and have received Him into your life as your Lord and Savior. Are you in the boat with Jesus? It is the only place you want to be when your life-storm comes as it surely will!

Matthew 8:24; “And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep.” (ESV) The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills and is located in a low spot between them so that storms come up quickly on the water! Many a fisherman had been lost in these storms and the boat the disciples were in was being swamped! They feared for their life! They were in a real storm that threatened their lives. It was a physical storm and a life-storm.

Maybe you’re going broke and are without work. You could have a life-threatening disease. Your spouse might have filed for divorce and moved out. Your child could have an illness that’s devastating him or her and your family! It probably feels like the boat is being swamped and you may feel like you’re going down! It’s a life-storm and they do come along! In just short of 71 years now I can’t count the life storms I have gone through!

I have been in the boat with Jesus and the story is the boat doesn’t go down! Remember that!

Notice Jesus was asleep in the storm! No storm causes Jesus to flip out! He can transfer that peace and confidence to us! In storms with boats being swamped we need it!

Notice what the disciples do next. Matthew 8:25; “And they went and woke him, saying, ‘save us, Lord we are perishing.’” (ESV) It’s important to see exactly what the disciples did, they woke Jesus up and told him exactly how they felt! They felt like they were about to die in a storm, so they woke Jesus up and told him they were scared to death!

When you are in a lifestorm you need to go to Jesus in prayer and tell Him exactly how you feel! First of all, He knows how you feel so the best idea is to fess up and tell Him exactly how you feel. Honesty with Jesus is always best, and it confesses to Him exactly how we need His intervention! Often, I will write it out and journal telling Jesus how I feel. Try it, it will bring amazing clarity to your situation!

Jesus will respond to you when you’re honest with Him. He did for the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. Matthew 8:26; “And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (ESV)

Jesus points out to His disciples in the boat what He will always point out to us today. Why are we afraid, we people of little faith? Our faith is little while His faith is without measure! Often, we have to call on Him in honesty when the storm rages and our faith falters! Notice Jesus treats fear as the exact opposite of faith! That’s because fear is the polar opposite of faith! He will always call us back to faith! Being called back to faith is always what we need.

Notice what Jesus does next. He commands the winds and waves to stop and there was great calm! When fear fades and faith leaps storms tend to stop! When Jesus gets involved fear does fade and faith leaps into the lead! He’s already in your boat, just tell Him what you need!

Matthew 8:27 gives us the response from the disciples, “And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this that even the winds and sea obey him.’” (ESV) They are blown away Jesus can handle creation in all its power! You will be blown away at how Jesus can handle your life-storm!

You will always have life-storms. Keep Jesus in the boat, tell Him what you fear, and He will call you back to faith and calm your storm!