Love what Matthew records here because it has great meaning for each of us, ‘Jesus got into a boat, and His [disciples] went with Him. A great storm arose…’ (Matthew 8:23–24 NCV) There are some who love when a good storm rolls through with all the thunder and lighting...others not so much. In the Greek language the words ‘a great storm’ are one word—seismos. A seismologist studies earthquakes and a seismograph measures them. So the storm the disciples were in must have shaken them to the core. It had to have brought them to the place they thought they would die. There’s an important spiritual lesson here that Jesus wants to teach us today. Getting on board with Jesus doesn’t mean you will never go through a storm. Jesus said, ‘…In the world you will have tribulation…’ (John 16:33 NKJV) In spite of God’s promise to protect and prosper us, you’ll still have to deal with things like disease, lack, and fear. The difference is: the unbeliever faces the storm without Christ, but as a believer you go through the storm confident that all will be well because Jesus is on board. Does that mean you will never experience panic? If only it were so! But it isn’t. Looking at the swelling waves and the sleeping Savior, the disciples asked, ‘…do You not care that we are perishing?’ (Mark 4:38 NKJV) This is why fear is so deadly. It corrodes your confidence in God’s goodness. It unleashes a swarm of doubts. It deadens your recall. By this time the disciples had witnessed Jesus ‘…healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.’ (Matthew 4:23 NKJV) Fear creates a form of spiritual amnesia. It dulls your miracle memory. It makes you forget what Jesus has done and how good God is. That’s why you must starve your doubts and feed your faith on God’s Word, for faith is what will take you through the storm.You are Loved!
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