A Word From God Is All We Need In The Storm

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne once said that the only thing certain is nothing is certain. Considered the father of modern skepticism, Montaigne was one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance. His mindset remains centuries later in a world where we can find nothing to rely upon. Too often as believers we seek assurances and certainty from a world that shares the philosophy of modern skepticism. We inevitably find that the world's promises are hollow and empty. We inevitably find that the world's solutions are vacuous and disappointing. The saddest thing is that as believers we should never have cause to turn to a world that we no longer belong to. We do not need to because God has given us His Word, which is for all seasons and all circumstances:

There is no insufficiency in Scripture. For every lie the devil and the world wants to sell us we have a promise in God's Word that assures us he is a liar and we are a child of God. Let's take a short trip today through a well known story from the Gospel of Matthew. The disciples are out on the water after the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus had gone away to pray but later in the night we find the disciples situation becoming worse:

Isn't this just like our lives sometimes? From seemingly out of nowhere the disciples find themselves far away from the safety of land and the wind seems to turn against us. Maybe that is where this writing finds you today. In the middle of a storm that arose in the night unexpectedly. The winds of life have turned against you. The waves seem like they are going to crash over the sides of the boat of your life. But the first thing we need to realize is that no matter how bad the situation appears - Jesus is always walking towards you!

Beloved - in the dark of night we must remember that dawn is coming. Jesus never leaves us in a sinking boat. He never leaves us alone and adrift in the storms of this world. He always sees us. He always knows where we are. He is always walking towards us. More than towards us beloved, He is walking above the very things that frighten us so desperately. We see here in these verses that Jesus walks above the water that was so threatening to the disciples. Since the Bible assures us that we are seated with Christ in heavenly realms, the things He can rise above - we can rise above. All we need is a Word:

We should never proceed to resolve our situations under our own direction. We need to be directed by God. What I love here is that Peter does not assume anything. Too often we can assume the will of God. We can decide we want something and we seek "confirmation" where there is none. God does not operate that way. When we look at the life of King David we saw a man who always asked God's direction before any major success. When he decided to rely on his own strength and take a census of the fighting men however, it cost the lives of 70,000 of his people. We cannot proceed to rise above the storms in our life under our own understanding. Peter doesn't and it takes us to the key verse for today where we see the one word command from Jesus - come.

Come out of your storm beloved and walk towards Jesus. All we need is one Word from God and we can walk on water. That is the importance of the Word of God beloved. We need to know the Word inside and out. We need to go to that Word when the waves are sweeping into our boat. We do not need to over-spiritualize it either. We do not need to be lying in sackcloth and ashes. All we need is one Word from Jesus. Come. Peace. Faith. All it takes is one Word beloved and we can find ourselves walking above what once frightened us so dearly, as the key verse shows us. But remember that whenever we try to hold onto the Word of God, the enemy will try his best to distract us with our circumstances:

When he saw the wind. How fierce does a wind have to be for us to see it? That is how fierce the devil will make your circumstances seem to you when you try to hang on to the Word God has given you. Listen, the storms are real. The wind is real. Whatever you are facing today it is real. But here is what we lose sight of so quickly. God is real too. The Word of God is real. His promises are real. When He says "come" He is not trying to make you sink. When He says "peace" He means you can really have peace. When He says "faith" He is speaking about the key to this story and our lives:

You of little faith. The devil wants you to look at your circumstances and despair. Jesus says but one Word and you need to take that Word, believe that Word by faith, and watch yourself walk on water - right over the storm you are facing.