5 Ways Jesus Is Always with Us in the Storms

“…He got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:26b)

I wept as I walked down the stairs and reached for a cup of coffee to sooth the painful storm which had caught my heart off-guard. There are moments in life which rip off the band aids of prevention we’ve so carefully placed around the sensitive areas of our lives. But no matter how big the storm, how suddenly it pops up, or how destructive it is, we have a hope in Jesus. I clung to Him as I gripped my warm mug and dove into the hard work of bailing the water out of my proverbial boat.

Loneliness likes to lie to us in these situations, but Jesus is always with us. In today’s Scripture from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus shows us five major ways He not only is with us in every storm, but has the authority to calm each dark cumulous cloud.

1. Jesus Got into the Boat

“Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples” (Matthew 8:23).

Jesus got into the boat with His disciples before the storm. In fact, Jesus had enough time to fall asleep while the boat started out on its journey. Often, we reach for our faith when our circumstances seem the most dire, failing to realize Jesus has been there all along! Christ Jesus is still with us when the waters are calm. So there’s no need to panic when the storms come to pass.

2. Jesus Slept through the Storm

“Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping” (Matthew 8:24).

Paul wrote to the Philippians, the peace we have in Christ Jesus is a peace which surpasses all understanding. Jesus slept through the storm. We can remain calm through any tumultuous breakout of weather in our lives by clinging to the temperament of Christ! We can have calm seas, even when the waves are breaking over the boat. Life is going to be hard, we were promised, but through Christ we are able to remain calm as the fruit of peace grows in our hearts and our faith in Him – not ourselves – matures.

3. Jesus Woke Up

“The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” Jesus responded, ‘Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!’” (Matthew 8:25-26a).

When we call to the Lord in prayer, the Bible says He not only hears us before we are done praying, but is already responding to us. Since the Word of God proclaims this promise, and Jesus is the Living Word of God, we can safely cling to the Lord in prayer when the storm hits, knowing He is awake to our cries. He is alerted when we call out to Him! Remember, He is not coming from far away – He is with us all of the time through the miraculous indwelling of His Holy Spirit, who interprets our crying out to God.

4. Jesus Responded

“Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:26b).

God’s love for us is unwavering. Jesus willingly came down from heaven to live a life on earth and sacrifice His life for the forgiveness of our sins. His response ushered in the reality of eternity through Him, for all of us. Sometimes our storms come in the form of disease. A man with leprosy approached Jesus and asked:

“Lord, if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean” (Matthew 8:2).

Jesus’ response assures us, He is willing to respond to us when we are facing life’s storms:

“Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be healed!’ And instantly the leprosy disappeared” (Matthew 8:3).

Jesus not only responded to the man verbally, but He reached out and touched Him. He will come close to us, too! When we seek Him with all of our hearts, which we often do when we’re in a storm, we will find Him!

5. Jesus Amazed the Disciples

“The disciples were amazed. ‘Who is this man?’ They asked. ‘Even the winds and waves obey him!’” (Matthew 8:27).

The miracle of prayer is made available to us, daily. Jesus is in our boat, brings His peace, and responds willingly to us. Our faith in Him has the power to move mountains. Prayer is a powerful reality for those who live their lives within His love. Following Jesus is hard, messy, and painful at times. But we are never alone. The disciples were amazed as Jesus calmed the wind and the waves. We, too, will be amazed by His powerful movement in our lives when we are willing to call on Him - not only in the midst of the storm - but in our everyday lives.

A Prayer for When Storms Hit Our Lives

Father,

Jesus is in the boat with us. He walks through everyday life alongside us. Yet, when sudden storms hit our lives, we often panic. When the storm is fierce, and the solution is not easily within reach, when conflict steals our peace as waves break into our boats, we panic. In those moments, Jesus is at peace. With His disciples in an actual storm, He was asleep. But it doesn’t mean He wasn’t aware.

Lord, You know and are not surprised by the swiftness and severity of the storms in our lives. We shout for You to move into action on our behalf as the disciples did in the storm-stricken boat: “Lord, save us! We are going to drown!” It feels that way, God, when we are drowning in circumstances we didn’t expect, and don’t know how to navigate. We drown in overwhelming moments, with doubt, fear, and weakness. We scramble in the midst of what we can see. But, we forget how big You are, God. Jesus has authority over the wind and the waves – and our lives.

Jesus responds in our circumstances, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!”

He has authority over every storm, literally and figuratively! Father, You have given us a faith which can move mountains, yet we forget to flex it when we’re blindsided by pain, doubt, fear and frustration. Help up us focus on You, and to speak the name of Jesus out loud when storms blow in. Let us have faith Jesus will rebuke the wind and the waves and the storms in our lives, leaving a great calm. The peace which surpasses all understanding, as Paul wrote to the Philippians.

When peace is ushered into our situations, we are reminded of Your faithfulness, God. Thank you, for the miraculous way You piece us back together, and calm the storms in our lives.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

Meg Bucher Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ at megbucher.com. She is the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,” “Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ,” and "Sent, Faith in Motion." Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team at Salem Web Network. Meg loves being involved in her community and local church, leads Bible study, and serves as a youth leader for teen girls.