Storm Training

The following writing is not in any way being uncaring or judgmental of those who have experienced loss and even death in the recent storms that have hit the South. May God's peace rest over all the destruction. It is my prayer that these words will offer some insight into ways of preparing for the next ones.

Our region here in the Appalachian Mountains has been hit hard with the storms. Jesus faced some storms. A deeper look into the storms Jesus faced can give us insight on how to handle storms today, naturally and spiritually. With increasing storms in the natural and in the spiritual, it would do us good to understand how to provide more protection for our households and communities.

The Gospels tell about a couple of storms that Jesus was involved in (see Matthew 8 and 14). In the first storm, Jesus was asleep when the disciples awakened Him. They were alarmed, because a storm had suddenly come upon them. In the second storm Jesus came walking on the water to his disciples who had been caught out in the midst of the lake. There is encouragement with both examples. In one storm Jesus was already on the boat with them, and the other storm He was on His way to them.

There are times that we may feel that the Lord is with us in the storm. We feel the presence of the Lord and we aren’t fearful. Yet there are other times that we feel sure the Lord is with us but we still feel fear. The disciples knew Jesus was on board, however, He was asleep. This concerned them and they awakened Him wondering if He even cared if they lived or not. With this kind of attitude from the disciples, Jesus knew He needed to correct their lack of faith and trust. Jesus does care if we live or die. He cares for the birds and flowers. He cares about each of us. This is foundational trust and faith. This is the rock we build upon and the storms cannot sweep us from this foundational truth. He cares.

There are other times that we may feel alone in the storm and begin to cry out for the Lord to come to our rescue. The Psalmist talks of a time of trouble in which people cried to the Lord and the Lord brought them out of their distress. He continues to tell how the Lord caused the storm to be still. This excited the people when the storm was quieted (see Psalm 107:28-30). It is always exciting when God shows up and quiets the storm. We often relate storms to trials and tests in life and that is a good comparison. However, there are times that natural storms come, and just like the trials of life, the Lord also desires to quiet them. When Jesus came walking to the disciples on the lake, He acted as if He was going to pass them by. I believe He did this to offer them the opportunity to call out to Him and to receive Him into their boat. It became a choice. It still is a choice. No matter how hard the storms are hitting upon us, it is a time that we can invite Jesus into our boats. He may even challenge us as He did Peter with something new…like walking on water. Or, He may ask us to take charge and speak to the storm.

In these stories about the storms, there is another beautiful nugget. Jesus quieted the storms. He spoke to the wind. Jesus was modeling the way we can face storms. Jesus said that we would do greater works than He did (see John 14:12). Speak to the storm. It isn’t as hard as it seems. Just, simply tell the wind to be quiet. The first time you do this it may get louder but stand your ground. A tree may even fall close by but stand your ground. Be stern (not necessarily loud) and command the wind to be quiet. There are those who may be immature who think they can just control the wind and rain whenever they want. I am talking about times in which you or your family are in danger. I feel this is a way that we care for them much like we provide food and clothes. We can speak peace to the storms and we can speak protection over our homes.

This does not mean that those who have suffered loss didn’t have faith. However, we cannot ever allow the tragedy of yesterday to hinder us in moving towards new levels of faith that will bless us in the future. An example of this kind of hindrance is when a person has prayed several times for healing and comes to the conclusion that it is not God’s will to heal them. There are great testimonies of people who have let go of past prayer attempts that seemed to fail and asked afresh and anew. They experienced powerful healing. The mercies of the Lord are new and fresh each morning. If it seems we have failed in an area to reach God, push the thoughts back and reach for God again. If a storm knocks you down once, face the next one with greater resolve. Step outside the traditional box and speak to the storm. Tell the wind to be quiet. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in every believer (see Romans 8:11). May each storm we face only make us stronger to silence it quicker.