Day 20: February 16

Scripture: Matthew 8:23-34

SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: Matthew 8:23-27
Jesus got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose are great storm on the sea, so the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep, and they woke him saying, save us. Lord we are perishing. And He said to them why are you afraid O, you of little faith? Then He rose and rebuked, the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled saying, “what sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey him? “

OBSERVATION
Storms are inevitable in life, in the physical and in the spiritual world we live in. Storms are pretty consistent. We know they are coming but somehow they always seem to catch us off guard.  The Sea of Galilee is an unusual body of water although relatively small, 13 miles long and 8 miles wide, it is 150 feet deep at its deepest point and the shoreline is about 690 feet below sea level. Sudden storms can appear over the surrounding mountains with a little warning, stirring the water into violent 20-foot waves. These experienced fishermen had not foolishly set out in the storm. They were caught off guard without warning, and their danger was very real. Most people say we are either going into a storm, coming out of a storm, or in the midst of a storm.  When storms come, we must plan as well.

APPLICATION
Although the disciples had witnessed many miracles, they panicked in this storm. As experienced sailors, they knew its danger, but what they did not know was that Jesus could control the forces of nature. We often encounter storms in our lives when we feel God can’t, or won’t work. When we truly understand who God is, we will realize that he controls the storms of nature and the storms in our lives.  Jesus' power that calm the storm can also help us deal with the problems we face daily. He is with us, and He is willing to help if we draw near and ask Him.  
In conclusion we should remember these three things when facing storms that will show up in our lives:

1. Jesus speaks in the calm
2. Jesus speaks to the storm
3. Jesus speaks to the storm in you

PRAYER
Father, I pray that we would trust You and have faith in You when we face storms in our lives. Help us to abide in the shadow of our Almighty God. Help us to realize that You speak when things are calm to help us move in the direction that You desire for us to go. Help us to realize that You also can speak to the storms that us away into worry, fear doubt and panic. Lord Guide us in all that we do and help us to walk with You through all of the storms of life. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen!