The first
recorded storm comes from the Biblical account of the worldwide flood in Noah’s
day. The sign in the sign afterwards proclaimed a promise wrapped up in the
first ever rainbow. In Scripture there are a number of rampaging ‘beautiful
beasts’ mentioned. Most are associated with sailing. We recall Jonah but forget
Jehoshaphat’s wrecked ships at Ezion-geber (1 Kings 21:48).
In the
Gospels there are three specific references to storms. Each of them have an
application to how our faith is tested and shaped by life’s storms. This is true
whether we find ourselves in midst of a furious physical storm, an ethical, emotional
or spiritual one.
Storm 1.
Is mentioned in a parable by Jesus as He sums up the Beatitudes. We all build
our lives on some foundation, which Jesus classed as Rock or Sand. Both lives,
depicted as houses, suffer the assault of the ‘beautiful beast’. In both houses
fear would have been felt but only one would be destroyed. The life built upon
the ‘Rock’ which refers to the Word of God, prevails. That doesn’t mean to say
that there wasn’t damage or pain or fear to the life. No! What is being
stressed by Jesus is the life is not shattered even though it has been
battered.
Storm 2.
In the very next chapter 8 in Matthew’s account is a storm. These professional
fishermen were unable to cope with its ferocity. A strange picture is presented
by a sleeping Jesus in the midst of the boat being swamped. Many of us have
found the storm of life smashing into us and our voice being raised “Jesus,
wake up!” Why did Jesus ask them what appears to be a silly question? He said “Why
are you afraid, of you of little faith?” The implied answer is, no vessel can
sink when the Lord is on board, awake or seemingly asleep!
Storm 3.
In Matthew 14 is the feeding of the 5,000 men. Afterwards Jesus went up into
the mountains to pray. The disciples took to their boat and merrily sailed away
with warm and exciting memories. Evening darkness enveloped them and an
unexpected ‘beast of a storm’ pounced. But there wasn’t any sleeping Jesus. He
was absent. Why didn’t the Lord rush to their aid, for He could see their
plight from the heights? How often have we wondered where Jesus is in the midst
of our personal dealings with our own ‘beast of a storm.’ Could one of His
reasons be to teach us He is able to come to us ‘walking on the water’ for He
is the master over the ‘beautiful, ferocious beast.’ As with the fishermen so
to with us, our response is a deeper faith and gratitude in Him.
Storm 4.
This happened to Paul in Acts 27. Dispatched to Rome to be tried by Caesar the
authorities ignored the season’s changing weather situation. It was approaching
the time for the Euroclydon (northeaster) to arise and blow. It did! The account shows the magnitude of the storm. Why
did they suffer the fear, the loss, the harrowing of those fourteen days?
Because of a fateful and rash choice. Why were all on board not killed? Because
God had promise years before to Paul he would bear testimony to Jesus before
Caesar. Because of that promise all on board the doomed boat were under God’s
protection.
The reason
for these accounts to be in Scripture is to teach us, warn us and encourage us to
cling by faith to Jesus, the Lord over the storm. We live in an unstable world
which seems to breed these ‘storms’ of emotional, spiritual, ethical and
relational categories. Jesus, through His word, wants us to be faithful in the
storm, strong when the ‘beast snarls’ at us to cower us. He also wants us to be
merciful when for no reason of our own we are caught up in the storm caused by
others. Turn it into a testimony of grace in the name of Jesus.
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