Overcoming the storms of life – Part 2

Text: Matthew 8:23-27
Key Verse: Matthew 8:24, “And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.” (NKJV)

Storms of life may arise and threaten to overwhelm you or actually overwhelm you; threaten to snuff life out of you, threaten to throw you into the doldrums; threaten to throw you into the valley of despair and perhaps you have done all you could do and there is no hope and help in sight. You may have made all the human contacts you think you should make and all your human contacts proved unable to deliver you from the storms. You have done all, pulled all the strength you can pull and rather than for the storm to abate, it increased in strength and vigour and actually threatened to swallow you up.

These storms of life could come in spite of the fact that you are walking with the Lord. Time will come when you have to chew meat and you develop teeth spiritually speaking that will enable you to chew meat. Jesus was in the boat together with His disciples, but despite His presence, suddenly, most unexpectedly something happened. There arose a severe storm; the waves were crashing into the boat and they were in the middle of the sea.

The disciples were frightened, fearful and faithless in the midst of what they perceived to be a potentially deadly situation, but Jesus was asleep. They had to wake Him and said to Him, “Master, save us! We’re going down!” and the Lord heard them. Although they appeared to be in terrible danger that could take away their lives, but the Lord helped them to realise that Jesus was there with them. I wouldn’t know if you are in the prison, on the hospital bed and in the internally displaced people’s camp. I just wouldn’t know and nobody would know the situation you are in right now. Our God is wonderful and He can reach you in that most despicable of places where you may have found yourself suddenly.

I wouldn’t know if suddenly your business has collapsed. I wouldn’t know if suddenly you have health issues that are threatening your life and it appears everybody has forgotten about you. I wouldn’t know whether suddenly your marriage is crumbling all around you and you no longer understand. I wouldn’t know if suddenly you are no longer able to pay your house rent and I wouldn’t know if suddenly your house was razed down by fire. You remember the story of Job in the Bible. It was one bad news after another and suddenly, Job saw that everything he had was gone.

The devil could get very strong people in the society with government connections suddenly to rise against you, and he would want to make you think that God Has abandoned you. The devil may raise up all these storms, waves and billows, but never mind, there is a beautiful song that says when upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, “count your many blessings”, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord Has done. When it appears all hope is lost, you remember the Lord Has done so much for you and He is going to do it again because He is there with you in the storm. As long as Jesus is there with you in the boat, that boat will never sink. God never abandons His own. God Has no abandoned project and you will never be abandoned.

Today’s Nugget: God Has no abandoned project Prayer: Lord do it again in my life
Prayer lines: 08054477940.
E-mail: servantofgod111@yahoo.com
Rev. Pastor Ejikeme Ejim, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria