All devotions are written by our Founding Pastor Bill Elliff. More blogs and books from Bill at billelliff.com.

Matthew 8 | Asleep In The Storms

We often reference the amazing account in Matthew 8 of Jesus being "asleep in the storm" at sea. But if you read the story carefully, you will see the terrifying situation the disciples were in and the magnitude of faith that God was calling them (and us) to explore.
 
And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” (Matthew 8:24-25)
 
Remember, these were men who made their living on the sea. But this storm was such that they literally believed they were going to die. The boat was being "covered by the waves."
 
Most of us have never been in this magnitude of a storm physically. But many of us have faced such storms practically. We have been in places, emotionally and spiritually, where we felt we could die.
 
A PLACE OF FAITH
 
So, what is this a time to do? Jesus showed them. It is time to have such faith in God that you can absolutely rest. This happened for Jesus because He knew who His Father was and what God's agenda was for His life. He knew that nothing could thwart God’s purposes. It was not a time to die. The storm was just another moment to teach others of the faithfulness of God.
 
So, Christ got up, taught them this was about faith (as everything ALWAYS IS), called upon God to settle the storm, and became the conduit through His faith to show the world the power of God.
 
And, this is exactly what God wants us to do right now.
 
Father, thank You for the storms. Thank You that You will never exceed what I can endure by Your grace. Give me the grace to trust You implicitly. To never waver in unbelief, but trust you to do exactly what You desire and what is best in the middle of the storm. Let me life be a conduit for Your glory to be seen through faith.

Copyright © 2020 Bill Elliff. All Rights Reserved.