Till the Storm Passes By
By Dawn Neely
When He (Jesus) got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. Then He came to the other side. Matthew 8:23, 28 NAS
Between verses 23 and 28 in the 8th chapter of Matthew, we have a great storm! Not just a spring shower or a gentle rain, but an out-and-out hail producing, lightning flashing, boat toppling typhoon!
The disciples for the most part were fishermen or had been surrounded by the sea the majority of their lives. A storm would not normally produce the type of fear we read about in verses 24-27, so this was obviously an unusual storm. This storm was on the scale of an 11, if we were taking a poll from 1- 10, and it was one that the disciples feared would take their lives.
I’ve been in a couple of those storms. Storms that gathered in the midst of a sunny, ordinary day that so startled me that I found myself crumpled in anxiety at the altar in church, kneeling at the foot of my bed, or lying prostrate on my bedroom floor, asking God where He was and wondering if He cared.
Those are foolish thoughts but God understands our tendency to panic and He is always there to reassure us, through His word and the Holy Spirit, that He is in control and we will get through to the other side.
It is, however, necessary to go through storms.
We do not like them and we do not pursue a troubled sea, but it is where we learn that if God is all we have, He is all we need.
There is no other way for our faith to increase or to be reminded that without Him, I can do no good thing. In the storms of financial hardships, marital difficulty, disobedient children, health issues, divorce, adultery, arguments among family members or poor decisions that have long-range consequences, God is with us. He is not obligated to make us happy, but He does want to make us His. Sometimes that cannot happen unless we come to the place that we are totally dependent on Him.
1 Peter 1:5-7 is a wonderful reminder of God’s faithfulness.
You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire---may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. NAS
The most important thing to remember is that God knows where we are, what is happening and what He is doing in our lives. He always has a plan and a purpose. We need only remember His faithfulness and how He has seen us through other trails and realize He never changes. In Christ we have hope and our prayer should be
…When He has tried me; I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His path; I have kept His word and not turned aside. Job 23: 10-11 NAS
Have faith dear brother or sister! God who allows the storm, will be with you in it, through it and to completion. He is faithful. Whatever assaults us in the present is trivial compared to what awaits for us in the future! So while you may be between verse 23 and 28 just now, you will get to the other side!
Till the Storm Passes By
In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face,
While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place.
'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Chorus
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"
But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise
Where the storms never darken the skies.
Chorus
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,
Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand,
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Baptist Hymnal 1948
Dear Father God,
Help me remember that there is nothing that enters my life of which you are not aware. Build my faith, my trust and my obedience in your word and through your Holy Spirit. “I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous loving kindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” (Psalm 17:6-8) Amen
© 2020 by Dawn Neely. All rights reserved.
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