But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Matthew 8:26-27
Winds represent the powerful forces that blow against us. A powerful wind is also called a storm. They can come in different forms and target various aspects of our lives – spiritual, ministry, family, health or finances. Jesus and His disciples found themselves caught up in a storm that posed a serious threat to their very lives. His response instructs us on how to deal with the storms of life.
What do we do when a wind blows against us? How do we handle storms? The Lord Jesus shows us how to handle any contrary activity that confronts us.
Don’t be afraid. This should be your first response to a crisis. The storm was so threatening that even seasoned fishermen, like Peter and the sons of Zebedee, were terrified at its ferocity. God often uses impossible situations to demonstrate His sovereignty over the circumstances of our lives. We must take Him at His Word, trust Him in all things, and depend upon Him entirely.
Grow your faith. Jesus noted that His disciples had faith; but it was little faith. This could imply that the level of their faith was not up to the level of the storm that had come against them.
When a situation seems so big that our faith seems ineffective, we must make time to build our faith. Faith gets built up through our meditation on God’s word and His works. The more we magnify the Lord, the less the storm appears to us. Let God arise in your heart and mind; and all His enemies will be scattered before you.
Rebuke the wind. A rebuke is a sharp word spoken against something. Jesus did not need to build His faith. He was full of faith even when He was asleep in the boat. He simply awoke and spoke directly to the storm. He did not pray about the storm. He spoke to it. He rebuked it.
Each one of us can rise up with strong faith and rebuke every storm that rises against us.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, my faith in you is strong. I command every storm in my life to be still, right now. In Jesus name, Amen!
By Pst Mensa Otabil