Storms of Life

Are you going through a storm right now? Scripture assures us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). In this lesson, may you be inspired to allow Jesus into your boat and calm the raging seas.

Transcript

Episode 19
The Storms of Life
© Dani Banggo 07/07/2024

From the beautiful island of Maui, I want to greet you with a warm aloha! Welcome to “Gospel in the Air,” a short devotional program that will inspire and encourage your daily walk with Jesus.  May you be enlightened with new insights for living as the Holy Spirit reveals His passion for humankind to be saved, that is, that no one should perish but all will come to repentance. But before we begin our devotion may we have a word of prayer. Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for your unfailing love and your faithfulness to us. Your mercies are new every morning. I bless your holy name! I come and ask of your anointing for the preaching of your words. I ask that the message today come not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (1 Thes.1: 5). In Jesus name, Amen.

Our devotional lesson is taken from the book of Matthew 8:23- 27. And 

I’ll read to you the following verses (Matthew 8:23-27):

23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” 

Today, we will be dealing with the topic, The Storms of Life. 

The location is at the shore of Capernaum in the region of Galilee. Jesus is here teaching in parables about the kingdom of God. Many people were gathered around to listen to his new and radical teachings and to be healed and delivered by him. Due to the large crowd, he was led into the boat and sat in there to teach them while they listened to him at the water’s edge (Mk. 4:1). 

Many were amazed not only by his new teachings but by teaching them with authority. They haven’t seen yet any Rabbi or teacher of the law of his equal. He does not only teach powerfully and with authority but even heals and delivers people from their sicknesses and by casting out demons from those who were being possessed. In addition, he also forgives sins. This is Jesus, the Son of God, and the only begotten of the Father, who came to seek and save that which is lost.

When evening came, he instructed his disciples to leave and sail to the other side of the lake. This is where I would like to share with you some insights for today’s lesson, especially with those events that transpired while they were at the sea. 

The events clearly describe that in the quietness of the night while they were sailing peacefully suddenly without warning a raging storm came up and swept over their boat. If you look at this situation deeply you might be wondering why they still must experience this calamity when in fact the Lord was already with them inside the boat. Isn’t Jesus the King of the universe for he laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the works of his hands? (Heb. 1:10) But why is it that they are being threatened by a raging storm? Why is it that despite his physical presence they still must go through this harrowing experience?

One can just imagine the bedlam it caused among the frightened apostles for such an unexpected calamity. It shows only that in this life no one is exempted but will experience affliction, or calamity, or tragedy in one way or another. Even the apostle Paul himself is not spared from physical affliction. It was described to him that his illness is somewhat a “thorn in his flesh” that tormented him so much. He even prayed for it three times pleading before the Lord that it will be taken away from him. But it was not granted because the Lord has a greater plan and purpose for him that eventually serves him well (2 Cor. 12: 7-10). That is why he reminded Timothy in his second letter to him to expect all kinds of hardships, afflictions, sufferings, and persecution if he desires to live a godly life in Jesus Christ (2 Tim.3: 12).

Another person worth mentioning in the Scripture is a man called Job who lived a righteous life in God. Yet he was not spared from a severe affliction that caused even his wife and closest friends to despise him, believing that it was a direct result of a grievous sin he had committed. That is how people regarded affliction and suffering in the Old Testament period. It is always the idea of retribution. But they were all wrong! Poor Job! Had they only known the real story behind his affliction! 

As professing Christians, we must always be on our guard because the enemy, Satan, is on the loose like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). We are in a spiritual battle against the forces of evil and our fight is not against flesh and blood but against the forces of evil (Eph. 6:12).  There will come a time that you will be facing the greatest challenge of your life and what would be your response to God? Will you continue to hold on to the faith until the end? Or are you going to follow suit with ancient Israel in the wilderness murmuring, grumbling, and blaming God for their lack of want?  You blame the devil for your miseries and you even question God when tragedies strike unexpectedly. 

Our lesson for today prods us to ask ourselves, “Am I right with God?” Our Lord God is sovereign. Events of your life are within the care and power of God who knows what is best for you.  He is in control of your need and comfort (2 Cor. 1:3). Don’t be discouraged or be dismayed although storms of life come unexpectedly, don’t be afraid because you have Jesus with you in the same boat where you are sailing on. Have faith in the Lord because no matter how furious the storm you are facing right now, the Lord can calm it down upon his command for your sake. In John 14:14, Jesus assures his disciples by saying, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” The scripture assures you to keep still and know that He is God (Ps.46: 10). 

There are three fundamental truths that I want to share with you on our topic about the storms of life.

First, you are not alone in your boat sailing on a turbulent sea. 

The scripture describes how the disciples were greatly terrified by the sudden occurrence of a raging storm where they almost swamped. They are now shivering from the cold; their bodies are all wet; rowing with all their strength against big waves and strong wind. They have tried everything within their human capacity to overcome this great danger but to no avail. They are now about to sink. What else could they do? But before losing all hope and about to give up all eyes turned unto Jesus and without losing any moment immediately, they cried out for help, begging for mercy: “Lord save us!” 

Do you see yourself in the same situation? Is your boat about to sink? You have tried everything to solve your present situation, but you cannot find the right solution to it. Almost you are about to give up now. There is no stopping storms of life and they come one after the other. Big waves keep coming in to rock your boat and the raging storm has no end to it. Hold on to life my friend because while there is life there is hope. In Ecclesiastes 9:4 it says, “But all who are among the living have hope, because a living dog is better than a dead lion (GW). 

Don’t give up. You are not alone in your fight. There is Jesus with you constantly waiting for you to call on Him because He alone can make the sea calm and command the raging storm to stop. Cry out to him in prayer. Jesus reminds us with this timely honored practice among his disciples that we should always pray and not to give up (Luke 18: 1). In other words, there should not be let up in your commitment through prayer because this is the only way wherein the Lord hears and listens to you. God wants to hear from you. He wants to know your needs and cares. And he is interested to know them. Philippians 4:19 says, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (NLT).

Prayer can even change the heart of God. Moses’ prayer has caused God to relent of his plan to destroy His chosen people (Exo.32: 14). In another instance Daniel’s prayer caused God to give him insight and understanding for him to interpret dreams and visions (Daniel 9: 22). And with the earnest prayer of the first century Christians coming together as a community of faith caused the chains of Peter to fall off and escaped a tightly secured prison cell (Acts 12:5-7). Indeed, prayer opens the windows of heaven to the cry of his people who truly seek his face and call him. For those who trust Him and give reverence to Him He surely fulfills their desires, hears their cry, and saves them (Ps.145: 18, 19).

Why don’t you claim that promise? Pray for your needs. Pray that the Lord will intervene in your life. Pray that He will sit with you in your living room, at your dining table. Pray that he will be your constant partner and guide in your business or in your work. Pray that He will change your life and make you whole. In Philippians 4:6-7 the apostle Paul wrote:  

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (NLT).

Second, have faith. 

Remember what Christ has told the apostle when they were frantic about their situation? “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!”  If you read in between the lines Christ rebuked them because of their doubting hearts. In other words, he wants to see in them a genuine heart faithfully committed to His teachings. He wants them to experience and prove the reality of His words in actual life situations, especially in times of great danger. When trying times come to cross their path of comfort zones then that will be the moment they will put their faith in him instead of panicking. They should look beyond the raging storm and big waves and trust the Lord even more. Looking beyond their circumstances would give them hope about the prospects of the future and this means faith in the Almighty. They allow God to be in control of their lives. Once that happens then they will be worry free and will not be affected so much by the cares of this life. They know that God is in control of everything. 

Having that kind of faith would make anyone very strong in facing whatever situations in life may occur. It makes someone look beyond with confidence and assurance especially when times of life seem so unbearable and unpleasant. Of course, we cannot deny the fact that we still have feelings to bear the pain of a lost love one and we need to be comforted; we worry about our daily needs and wants especially when we are financially troubled and we cannot meet both ends of our budget; we are burdened with so many things in life especially when despite our longings and cry for help to the Lord our situation does not change but it is still the same and getting nowhere. Yes, there are times we fear the prospects of an uncertain future and we are under stressed so much. These are some of the realities of life despite our claim that we already belong to the Lord. Our situation is just the same with those apostles in the same boat who were greatly terrified and do not know what to do when they were battered with a raging storm and violent waves, and they thought they would never survive it anymore.  

God has a message for you today. The same question he asked from the apostles when they were in great distress and panic is also what he asking you today, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” How faithful and good is the Lord to them who put their trust in Him? There are no adequate words to describe his mercy and love. Here is the Lord who is always mindful and thoughtful to all his children. He is telling you not to be afraid of anything but to put all your trust in Him and look beyond your present needs and circumstances because he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7). He knows your need. He knows your heart’s desire. He knows what is best for you. Don’t be dismayed. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disappointed. Don’t give up. Keep rowing your boat despite the strong current against your course. Set your heart and mind in his promises because the Lord is sitting beside you helping you row your boat. There is nothing that the Lord cannot do for you if you trust Him. There is nothing that is too hard for the Lord (Gen. 18:14). He can do whatever he promises (Ro. 4:21).

Third, cry out to Jesus for your salvation.

To the amazement of everyone they asked among themselves, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him?” They have not yet fully known who Christ is until he was crucified and resurrected. Some thought he was John the Baptist back to life (Mark 8: 28). Others thought He is the reincarnation of Elijah (Malachi 3:1; 4:5). People thought he was just a son of a mere carpenter from Nazareth in Galilee whose name is Joseph and his mother called Mary (Mat. 13:55). But for Peter when the Lord asked him "Who do people say I am?" (Mk.8: 27) Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” “You are the Messiah.” 

What is so significant about that confession? Most of the first century Jew believed that the coming savior of their nation would be a national figure, like a great charismatic military leader or a king. Because of this it was not surprising many were not able to identify him, and thus missed, Jesus as the Christ or the Messiah and they missed God’s plan. What a loss for many of those who mistook him that way. But for the apostles they did not see Jesus that way. They called out his name and cried out to him for salvation. They believed that He was the savior of the world. This was fully revealed and confirmed unto them after He was crucified, died, and rose from the dead; when the Holy Spirit came upon them and overshadowed them on the day of Pentecost Peter boldly declared: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4: 12) 

Do you have any idea about that name Jesus Christ and what it means to you? My friend, only God can calm a storm and only Him can calm a violent sea. Jesus Christ did that. Jesus Christ is God’s Son who came into the world by making “himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness… being found in appearance as a man” (Phil.2: 7, 8). Jesus Christ, who from the beginning was called the Word of God, became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn.1: 14). He came into this world to find you and bring you into His fold. He emptied himself because of you. Because of you He died on the cross and his blood was shed for the remission of your sin. He is calling you today to turn your heart to him by accepting Him into your life as your Lord and Savior. 

Are you in a hospital bed right now and struggling to get back into a normal and healthy life? Are you struggling with drug addiction or alcohol or smoking or with some other vices? Are you hurting? The list goes on. There is only one name that you can call and cry out for help. His name is Jesus. He is your only Savior. He is your help meet in the midst of a storm you are facing right now. Cry out to him to save you! 

Before the Titanic met its tragic end the men who built it believed and boasted that it is unsinkable. Not even “God Himself could not sink this ship” boasted a deckhand aboard in 1912. But how tragic and a waste of life. On its first voyage into the Atlantic this “unsinkable ship” crashed into an iceberg and drowned precious cargo of human lives numbering 1,502 men, women, and children into the depths.[1]

But the small boat on the sea of Galilee is unsinkable despite the raging storm, strong wind, and big waves that battered the frail boat and shattered the sails of the shivering and fearful apostles because Jesus was with them at the back of the vessel.  Jesus is the Lord of land and sea. He controls the winds and storms, and when the apostles turned to him for help, he saved them and brought their vessel through the harbor.  

Our life here on earth is too short to live by. What are you waiting for? You don’t know your life today. Don’t argue that tomorrow will take care of itself, and you will be careless about it. I tell you tragedy strikes anytime, anywhere, and unexpectedly. This is a call from the Lord for you today. Listen to him my friend, the Lord is calling you to repent your sin and resolve your way. Welcome Jesus Christ into your life right now. Make Him your Lord and Savior. Have faith in Jesus as your only Lord and Savior.  

It is my prayer that you have been blessed today. Listen to this podcast, Gospel in the Air, and be encouraged in your daily walk with Jesus. Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. Our number is (808) 463-8859. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org or you can send your email to danibanggo@gmail.com. This is your host, Brother Dani Marantan Banggo saying, keep punching the good fight of faith. Mahalo.

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[1] Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (Assurance Publishers: Rockville, MD, 1979), 209. Illustration 511: “God Could Not Sink Ship.” Quoted from Prairie Overcomer.