Speaking to the Storm

It is a beautiful sunny day today in Oklahoma; a much needed reprieve from the tumultuous weather from the weekend!  The meteorologists predicted a rough bout of weather, and they weren't wrong.  25 tornadoes on Saturday alone.  Sunday was mostly rainy and cloudy, so today was so exquisite.  

Growing up right in the middle of Tornado Alley in Oklahoma, I was terrified of tornadoes (thunder, too, but that is another story altogether).  I remember getting so anxious anytime bad weather was predicted.  By the time I was in high school, I had learned how to use that anxiety to focus.  First came the dread of the weather when I heard the report, and then came the desperate attempt to lock in a time frame for the weather.  Did I have everything gathered to get to the shelter?  Why is there a commercial on during the weather coverage?!  The list goes on, I promise.  Most people say this focus is a good reaction to fear, but I am learning that the Lord expects us to focus in a completely different and better way.

In Mark 4 we read that Jesus and the disciples were crossing the sea to the country of the Gadarenes.  Jesus had just spent the day teaching, and He fell asleep in the boat.  While He was sleeping, a great wind arose and the boat started filling with water from the high waves.  The disciples became fearful that they would die, and so they woke Jesus up.  These fishermen that had lived most of their lives on the sea got scared!  It must have been a terrible storm. 

There are times when storms arise in our lives, and these storms can cause great fear.  Believe it or not, that is what these storms are designed to do - fill us with fear.  But Jesus shows us a better way to deal with the storms: verse 39 says, "Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!'  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm."  Jesus didn't even mind the storm!  He rebuked it. What I see in this Scripture is that Jesus took what was in His spirit and overcame the storm.  Jesus explained in John 5:19 that He only did what He saw the Father do.  Jesus was so in tune with the Father, that Jesus instantaneously knew exactly what to do.  He wasn't shaken by the storm; He wasn't fearful.  Without hesitation, He rebuked the storm.

I love the part when Jesus says, "Peace, be still."  Every time I read that or hear the phrase spoken, peace flows over me; I feel it in my spirit - my very inmost being!  It's almost as if I hear His voice speaking, as if it is still echoing through all creation to bring peace to every storm that ever existed or ever will.  Now THAT is power!  Imagine pulling so much of the power of God out of your spirit that every storm throughout history will stop at your words.  Selah.

That is how we are to speak.  We are called to do the same works and GREATER works than Jesus (John 14:12).  That means that our words should carry the same power.  I mean, He gave us His authority (go read Ephesians 3:10) to use for this purpose.  He even told us that He has overcome the world (John 16:33).  If He has overcome the world, and He has given the authority, why do we allow ourselves to be filled with fear?

The disciples were absolutely filled with fear even though Jesus was on board.  They had heard Him teach and had seen Him heal people.  It probably shouldn't have even amazed them that the winds and waves obeyed Him, but it did.  I heard a remarkable minister once say that this was the first time that the disciples really got a glimpse of who Jesus is.  He expected them to have faith in Him.  He expects US to have faith, and one of the primary ways to know if we have faith is how we speak.  

If you are in a storm right now, you have the ability and the authority that Jesus gave you.  He expects us to speak it (go read Ephesians 3:10 again).  Use His authority.  Speak to the storm just as Jesus did - rebuke it.  Calm the waves.