Steadfast Love, Week 5, Storm

Aboard the majestic Norwegian Dawn, my husband and I had embarked on the vacation of our dreams! Every single detail of this magnificent cruise had far surpassed our expectations! However, events were about to make a sudden turn for the worst! On our way home from the stunningly gorgeous ports of Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; and the cities of Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico, we had no idea of the terror that awaited us on our final night at sea.

Early in the wee hours of the morning, in the midst of a sound and blissful sleep, we woke to the alarming sound of a crash, or maybe even an explosion. I grabbed hold of Jeff and held on for dear life. Had we hit another ship? Could there have been an iceberg in the Gulf of Mexico? Surely not! We had made some silly cracks about the Titanic earlier that day. Were we going to live out another famous chapter in nautical history with a similar fate as that “unsinkable ship?”

It felt like Godzilla himself had picked up our ship and was shaking it like a snow globe. Our drawers were opening and slamming shut over and over. Our bathroom door kept swinging open and closed. The glasses and water bottles had all shattered onto the floor, and the contents of our closet sounded like a maraca as its contents were violently jostled about.

Meanwhile, in our bed, we held each other in a steely embrace as our bed felt like a roller coaster ride. I don’t think I have ever felt anything so frightening in my life! Immediately, Jeff began praying…

“Father, in the name of Jesus, we know You have all of this under control. We pray that the sea and the wind will instantly calm down and that You will breath Your peace upon us. Protect us. We trust You, and we praise You.” We began praying for the people in the ship to be at peace, especially the elderly and those with small children. We prayed for wisdom for the captain and his crew. Then we just began praising and thanking God.

No kidding, as we prayed, the ship became instantaneously still. Everything was immediately quiet. Other than some gentle rocking of the ship from the wavy sea which had been our state for the entire night and would continue throughout the whole next day, it was as if nothing had happened. Of course, we did have some picking up to do! Our room was a mess!

During breakfast, the captain addressed the crowd. He explained that we had hit some tremendous walls of waves and had sustained gale force winds through the night. It had been a monster of a storm! That was the crash we had heard. The captain reassured us that everything was all right, and there was nothing to fear. The ship had not experienced any major damage. However, for our safety, the outside of the ship would remain closed for the rest of the day. It was a bummer to not be allowed to use the chairs on the decks, but it was wonderful news to be reassured that everything was OK.

Something I learned through this tempest-filled night is that there is nowhere we can go that God does not see us and continue to uphold us with His mighty, yet gentle hands. God did not have to ask, “Where are you Shari and Jeff?” We were in the middle of the ocean on a ship, and God was right there with us! Psalm 139:7-12 reminds us of this eternal promise:

 

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

 

God is a good God! No matter what storm you are going through in your life, it is not hidden from God. He has you in the palm of His hands. Never forget that! He may not always answer our prayers in the way we would want Him to, but we do have this reassurance that He works everything together for our good. He is working in your situation even now, so do not lose heart. Wait on Him. Trust Him. Watch the Lord do something marvelous in your life!

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This week in our Bible study, we dove in deeply to examples of storms in Scripture and learned much about God’s purpose for allowing storms in our lives. We learn from the things we fear about where we truly have put our faith and hope. We have learned that God is our refuge and stability through our storms, and He is the only One who had authority over our storms.

The storm is God’s severe mercy to show us where our hope is placed. He uses it to bring to light the condition of our hearts – what kind of soil are we? Have we received His Word gladly? Has our affection for Him been short-lived? Did the enemy snatch it away? Have desires for what God can give us choked out the desire to simply have Him?

Friend, He is able to get you to the other side. It may not look like what you thought it would, but if you would trust Him to be Lord over the storm, He will be your safe haven.

He is the Lord over the storm and the Lord with us in the storm.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 ESV

 Assignments for the Week:

Week 5 Discussion Questions

Here is a sneak peek at this week’s small group discussion questions.

ICE BREAKER: What is something you have never done before but you would like to try?

 

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39 ESV

QUESTION 1: How have storms in your life affected the way you see God? The way you see yourself?

 

He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mark 4:40-41 ESV

QUESTION 2: How does what we fear reveal our faith?

 

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish…

And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. Jonah 2:1, 10 ESV

QUESTION 3: What is something you learned from Jonah’s life this week, and is there something to which you can relate?

 

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7-10 ESV

QUESTION 4: How have you seen God provide the grace necessary for the storms in your life?

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2 ESV

QUESTION 5: At any point in our lives, we are either coming out of a storm, going into a storm, in the midst of a storm, or resting between storms. Where are you right now, and how can we pray for you?

 

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 ESV

QUESTION 6: What are some false anchors your storms have exposed in your life, and how can you make sure God is your anchor before the next storm hits?

Reading Schedule

  • July 24-30, Study Week 6: Gratitude, pp. 156-181; Week 6 Video
    • Small groups: Discuss Week 5
  • July 31-August 6, Week 7 Video, pp. 182-185
    • Small groups: Discuss Week 6

 

 

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