Life's Storms - there is hope
Hope in the midst of a Storm
Luke 6:17, 20-26
Barak Obama Democrat running for president has written a book titled “Audacity of Hope”.
Apostle Paul admonishes us to “Sorrow not as others who have no hope”.
I meet and talk with people on a daily bases that are on the verge of hopelessness. The storms of life are numerous seemly unrelenting and hope of relief is waning. Where are we to turn how are we to respond when the storms come?
Psalm 1: 1-4 says in part is - Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in the flesh. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord whose hope is in the Lord.
Notice the contrast one man is cursed while the other is blessed. As Christians our hope during the storm is not found in our strength but our hope is in the lord.
Luke 6: 17, 20-26 say blessed are the poor, hungry, those who weep. Or we might say hopeful are the poor, hopeful are the hungry, hopeful are those who weep.
Many times people expect bad things to happen to them. And our life experiences have taught us that some times the storms of life do come. The scripture tells us it rains on the just and the unjust. But God uses all things as an opportunity to bless us. We must learn to face difficulties which arise in our lives from a position of faith and trust in the Lord.
So how are we to respond when you face the storms of life?
1. Don’t Announce the Coming Storm
Don’t expect to be devastated by the storm. Don’t let the storm be the defining moment of your life. Jews that survived the Holocaust have been an inspiration for me. They suffered atrocities my mind cannot fathom and yet they did not allow the storm to destroy their remaining days.
The disciples find themselves in the midst of a storm. Mark 4: 35-41 tells us how they responded. They were fisherman by trade and this was not their first storm or their last. So they did what they knew how to do. They rowed for shore bailed water and did the things they learned from previous storms to reach a safe harbor. When the storm comes respond based on past storms.
2. Don’t let your Faith of Yesterday determine the out come of today’s storm
Past failures of faith arise when we responded in our own strength and can ruin our tomorrow. We all stumble and fall from time to time it is part of the human condition. We also seem to enjoy living in the past and respond to a storm today with the faith of yesterday.
The disciples called upon the Lord. They had expectations they saw storm as a man power problem. They thought Jesus would help them row or bail water he would provide the additional man power to get them to shore.
We are guilty of calling upon the Lord and having expectations as to how Jesus needs to respond to our request.
Jesus answered the disciple’s prayer but not in the manner they expected. He did not row or bail water he did not help raise or lower the sail. He simply said peace be still. When Jesus answers our prayers he always exceeds our expectations.
3. Don’t be impatient wait upon the Lord
God does not have a watch and he has no time table. We must have faith and allow God to bring us through the storms of life in his time.
4. Pray
The disciples called upon the Lord and he answered their prayer. During the storms of life we must pray. We must pray even though it seems hopeless. Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you. Keep in mind we are never alone. I am Alright Jesus is with me.
When you see storms on the horizon follow these four steps:
Don’t announce storm
Don’t let our faith of yesterday determine the out come of today’s storm
Wait
Pray
The same Jesus who calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee will stand in the midst of your storm and you will hear his words by faith
Peace Be Still
Luke 6:17, 20-26
Barak Obama Democrat running for president has written a book titled “Audacity of Hope”.
Apostle Paul admonishes us to “Sorrow not as others who have no hope”.
I meet and talk with people on a daily bases that are on the verge of hopelessness. The storms of life are numerous seemly unrelenting and hope of relief is waning. Where are we to turn how are we to respond when the storms come?
Psalm 1: 1-4 says in part is - Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in the flesh. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord whose hope is in the Lord.
Notice the contrast one man is cursed while the other is blessed. As Christians our hope during the storm is not found in our strength but our hope is in the lord.
Luke 6: 17, 20-26 say blessed are the poor, hungry, those who weep. Or we might say hopeful are the poor, hopeful are the hungry, hopeful are those who weep.
Many times people expect bad things to happen to them. And our life experiences have taught us that some times the storms of life do come. The scripture tells us it rains on the just and the unjust. But God uses all things as an opportunity to bless us. We must learn to face difficulties which arise in our lives from a position of faith and trust in the Lord.
So how are we to respond when you face the storms of life?
1. Don’t Announce the Coming Storm
Don’t expect to be devastated by the storm. Don’t let the storm be the defining moment of your life. Jews that survived the Holocaust have been an inspiration for me. They suffered atrocities my mind cannot fathom and yet they did not allow the storm to destroy their remaining days.
The disciples find themselves in the midst of a storm. Mark 4: 35-41 tells us how they responded. They were fisherman by trade and this was not their first storm or their last. So they did what they knew how to do. They rowed for shore bailed water and did the things they learned from previous storms to reach a safe harbor. When the storm comes respond based on past storms.
2. Don’t let your Faith of Yesterday determine the out come of today’s storm
Past failures of faith arise when we responded in our own strength and can ruin our tomorrow. We all stumble and fall from time to time it is part of the human condition. We also seem to enjoy living in the past and respond to a storm today with the faith of yesterday.
The disciples called upon the Lord. They had expectations they saw storm as a man power problem. They thought Jesus would help them row or bail water he would provide the additional man power to get them to shore.
We are guilty of calling upon the Lord and having expectations as to how Jesus needs to respond to our request.
Jesus answered the disciple’s prayer but not in the manner they expected. He did not row or bail water he did not help raise or lower the sail. He simply said peace be still. When Jesus answers our prayers he always exceeds our expectations.
3. Don’t be impatient wait upon the Lord
God does not have a watch and he has no time table. We must have faith and allow God to bring us through the storms of life in his time.
4. Pray
The disciples called upon the Lord and he answered their prayer. During the storms of life we must pray. We must pray even though it seems hopeless. Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you. Keep in mind we are never alone. I am Alright Jesus is with me.
When you see storms on the horizon follow these four steps:
Don’t announce storm
Don’t let our faith of yesterday determine the out come of today’s storm
Wait
Pray
The same Jesus who calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee will stand in the midst of your storm and you will hear his words by faith
Peace Be Still
