How can a person remain calm even when he or she is under pressure, sometimes immense pressure?  Perhaps we should ask if it's even possible to remain calm in this pressure-cooker world we live in?  When we view this from the spiritual perspective we can say that it not only is possible, we can even find wonderful examples of it occurring in God's word.  For instance, think about the situation Joseph faced.  This young man was deserted by his brothers, considered dead by his father, was removed to a foreign land, and then thrown in prison for a crime he didn't commit.  But through it all, we see a young man who handled the circumstances in a calm, even-tempered manner.  How could he do this?  A key is found in Genesis 39:21 where we read: "But the Lord was with Joseph…"  This is a phrase repeated throughout the account detailing Joseph's life.  This man put his full and complete trust in God, regardless of the situation.

How many of us have faced a man in battle who stood over nine feet tall, an individual who was a seasoned warrior, one who could likely crush our skull with a single blow from his fist?  David went up against Goliath, a man who fit that description.  Certainly, David's physical strength was no match for Goliath.  How did he display such a calm fearlessness in that situation?  The answer is found in I Samuel 17:45-46: "Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.  This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you.'"  David realized that his strength was not enough, but the strength and power of God were more than enough.

The apostle Paul was a prisoner on a ship bound for Rome.  A storm overtook the vessel for many days so the people on board had given up all hope of being saved.  When everyone had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up, in what appeared to be a perfect state of calmness, and offered some words of encouragement.  Notice what he said in Acts 27:22-25: "Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.  For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.'  Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told."  Trust and confidence in God provide calmness even in the face of a life-threatening storm.

Before concluding, we should also touch on the necessity of prayer.  We read in Philippians 4:6-7: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Anxiety can be replaced with a calm peacefulness when we trust God, when we commune with Him in prayer on a regular basis.  That undeniably produces a calmness under pressure that we all desire to possess.

Our lesson today is entitled "Grace Among Storms" [from Cassandra Martin's book, Paul: By the Grace of God]. As we have examined some of the adventures of Paul over the last few weeks, we have seen that he endured some stormy times, even though he was fully committed to serving and obeying God. I think that sometimes today we expect God to give us "smooth sailing" throughout our lives if we are committed to Him, even though He has never promised us we will be without trouble on the earth. Job 14:1 says, "Man born of woman is of a few days and full of trouble." Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter six to "not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Why is it, then, that so many leave God, His Word, and His church when troubles come? The answer is found in the simple children's song, "The Wise Man." Listen to Matthew 7:24-27. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall" We see here that hearing, reading, and knowing God's Word are not enough. We must put God's Word into practice if we are to withstand the storms of our lives. James 1:21-25. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

I vividly remember as a young child being at my granny and grampa's house when a storm was approaching. My grampa would go out on the porch, out in the yard and look all around. It was like he could "feel" a storm. He used all his senses, previous experiences, and information learned from others to make the call as to whether or not we would all go to the cellar.

When I was in the 6th grade, there were tornadoes all around Harrison one Spring day. I was at school, where we heard the signal to take cover. As 11 and 12 year olds, we didn't even realize the danger that lurked so close to us. We were unconcerned, so we sat under our desks and played cards to help pass the time.

As a teen, I remember having to go to the basement at our house when storms were rolling through. If it was nighttime, we pulled out the hide-a-bed and I continued my sleep. I obviously felt very safe and secure there with my family and didn't worry about the "what ifs."

Now as an adult, I am amazed at all the modern technology concerning the weather and storm tracking. When those sirens sound, rest assured I grab my girls and get to a downstairs room with no outside walls. I recognize now the real danger of a storm, and yet, I will wander out of the "safe room" to check the latest update and radar report on television. They can now pinpoint the exact location of tornadoes, so if it is not that close, I let my guard down, relax, and take it easy. I have not been up close and personal with a tornado, but I have spoken to people who have. I have learned when that storm is ripping the roof off your house, it is a serious time. There is no relaxing or letting down your guard. You are alert: you notice the sights, the sounds, the feel, and the smells.

Now let's relate these stories with our "spiritual storms." We have to be active, not passive, when preparing ourselves for these storms. What do I mean by "spiritual storms"? Sometimes it might be a temptation with a particular weakness. We are all different. The sins with which I wrestle may not even tempt you in the slightest way. But we all have our weaknesses. You know yours, God knows yours, and Satan knows yours. In fact, Satan uses it over and over to lure you onto his team. Sometimes a storm might be a dark page in the story of your life. Maybe you lost a spouse or a child. Maybe your spouse left you. Maybe it's a physical illness or ailment. Maybe it's an emotional challenge. It could be disappointments with loved ones, dealing with addictions, financial problems, or complications with aging parents. Maybe it's dealing with guilt. Whatever the struggle, we must be prepared to deal with it.

Like my grampa, we have to be aware of our surroundings. We must rely on our past experiences, the experiences of others, and our "gut" feelings when facing danger. We have to seek shelter in Christ when the storms bear down on us. We need to take it seriously. Then we can relax under our desks or sleep because we feel the security our heavenly Father provides. We truly believe that He will take care of us and eliminate any danger. I'm afraid we sometimes seek refuge in Jesus, but wander away, back and forth, to "keep up with what's going on." When we do this, we have convinced ourselves we're stronger than we really are and feel confident that in the event of a dangerous storm, we could "run right back" to our shelter in the nick of time. We almost mock the storm. You've seen boards over windows in Florida with spray painted messages intended for the storm. "Bring it on, Andrew!" Do we do that? Do we put our faith in ourselves and taunt the storms that approach us? Are we sometimes overly confident in ourselves concerning our ability to deal with storms? Do we run risks?

There are some people who love to chase storms. They follow them for hundreds of miles sometimes because they enjoy the rush of excitement they get from being so close to something so dangerous. Have you known anyone like that? They try to get as close as possible to the danger, or sin, fooling themselves into thinking that they are strong enough to escape unharmed. If your weakness is drinking, you best stay away from the bars. If your weakness is selfishness, you best be thinking about and serving someone else. We can't afford to take risks that may well cost us our soul. It is serious business, you know. We are told in I Thessalonians [5:21-22] to "hold on to the good, and to avoid every kind of evil."

I hope that we are always prepared for the storms that inevitably come our way. If the storm is a temptation, we need to "board up our windows" with His Word, so that we might not sin against Him. I Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." If we are battling loneliness, sadness, or depression, we need to fortify ourselves with doses of scripture like I Peter 5:7-9 and Deuteronomy 31:8. "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are going through the same kinds of suffering." "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." If we are afraid, we should gain confidence in scripture like Deuteronomy 31:6. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." If we are feeling guilty, let us remember I John 1:9. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." And if we are just plain suffering, we need scripture like James 1:2. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." Romans 8:18 says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

Sometimes the storms that come our way vary with intensity. Some are strong, some are weak. Sometimes, they seem to continually come, uninterrupted, while at other times there are spaces in between. Either way, we must be prepared for them. Have you ever found yourself thanking God for the rain that came with the storm the night before? Good things can come from the storms in our lives, sometimes we can see how it all works out and sometimes we can't. Again, we must have faith in God that He is in control and will take care of us, no matter what.

Sometimes the storms of our lives sneak up on us like the tornado that hit Fort Smith and Van Buren a few years ago. No sirens. No warnings. But, sometimes, we know for days that we're about to be put in a vulnerable position. The hurricanes that are so destructive often meet boarded up windows and completely empty buildings because people had plenty of time to prepare. It's the same spiritually. There are times when situations arise that are totally surprising. Hearing the words, "You have cancer," would be one of those times. On the other hand, there are storms in our lives that we have seen coming for a long time. Watching your child leave home would be one of those. Either way, we must be prepared. We can't wait until the storm is ripping the roof of our house to decide where our safe place is. If we don't make that decision before the crisis hits, we likely won't make the right decision. When we wait, we rely on emotion, adrenaline, and information that is only of the moment, which is usually misleading. We must choose the safety and shelter that Jesus provides. There is no other shelter that can compare with the benefits of His.

I encourage you to build your life on the solid rock which cannot be moved. By doing this, you don't have to worry about anything else. When we choose Jesus as our shelter, we don't have to worry about the "what ifs" any more. I'm not saying that in Christ we never have any trouble here on earth. I am saying that we have a peace in Christ that passes all understanding. When we are safe in the arms of Jesus, we are like children who don't even realize all the danger that surrounds us. The world just doesn't get it. The world is full of change, instability, danger, stress, trouble, problems, and difficulties. How wonderful it is to be able to escape all that in Jesus! What a great peace to be able to say, like David said in Psalm 18: "I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."

The account of Jesus calming the storm is in three of the gospels. Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and

Luke 8:22-25. They each give us a different perspective of the same event.

1. TROUBLE DOESN'T MEAN DISOBEDIENCE. (v35)

Storms in life often hit us suddenly and without warning. Our natural reaction is to question "why?".

Sometimes people will tell you that you are facing storms in your life, family, relationships, education etc.

because you've done something wrong. We do see God using storms in the Bible (think about Jonah) to

bring people back onto the right path. Yet, storms are certainly not always a result of disobedience.

In fact, this storm did not hit the disciples because they were disobedient but because they had been

obedient! Jesus commanded them to "go over to the other side." Furthermore, it is often the case that the

more we obey, the more we are attacked.

This storm hit those with Jesus in their boat and those without Him on the sea.

Having Jesus with us doesn't make us immune from what's happening around us. We still have the worries

of war, pandemics, financial pressures, peer pressure and so on. We face the same storms, but how we

face them changes when we have Jesus with us.

2. DON'T FORGET JESUS IN THE STORM. (v38)

Several of the disciples were fishermen. They were used to being at sea in bad weather. Matthew, the

collector, probably started to panic when the storm began while Peter, Andrew, James, and John told him

not to worry. The fishermen could handle the boat until they couldn't, and they, too, were afraid for their

lives.

How often do we try to handle things ourselves rather than bringing the situations to Jesus? We can easily

trust in our own skills, strength and abilities while forgetting that Jesus is in the boat with us.

The disciples did all they could until they panicked and turned to Jesus. In those moments, they totally

focused on the storm. They don't ask Jesus to calm the waves or get them to safety to the other side. They

should have realized that Jesus had power over all circumstances, but they still panicked. The only woke

Him to ask, "Don't you care if we drown?"

Like the disciples, storms often reveal our distorted view of God. The bigger we make the storm, the

smaller we make God. Our distorted view of the problem clouds our trust in Jesus.

The sooner we turn to Jesus in the storm, the better. We need to stop struggling along and invite Him to

show His power, authority, and perfect plan

3. JESUS SHOWS HIS BOTH NATURES (v39)

Jesus is one person with two natures: a divine nature and a human nature. Jesus is both God and man.

This passage gives us a wonderful picture of this truth. Like everyone on earth, Jesus needed rest. After

travelling around the land, healing people, and teaching the crowds the whole day, we find Jesus sleeping

on the boat. This shows us His earthy nature.

Yet, when the disciples wake Him, Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves, and they stop. Jesus shows His

divine control over nature by doing something only God can do.

Throughout Jesus' ministry, we see Jesus faced the same struggles and temptations as us. He was tired,

thirsty, hungry, hurting, betrayed and much more, yet He faced each trial in obedience to His Father and

trusted in His perfect plan.

4. CHOOSE FAITH OVER FEAR (v40)

The disciples were in the same storm as Jesus. The waves were the same force. The wind was the same

strength. The chance of capsizing was the equal, yet their reactions were very different. The disciples chose

fear. Jesus chose faith.

Today we have plenty of opportunities to choose faith over fear. The world is full of people, including

believers who see the world as falling apart and choose fear. The world is in a terrible state, but we can

have hope in God and confidence in His promises.

We are all prone to worry at times, but we can be sure that God is with us, even in the middle of a storm.

He will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus may have questioned the disciples on their faith, but He worked

a miracle and calmed the storm despite their lack of faith. Sometimes, the best we can pray is "I do believe;

help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

God is always at work in our lives, whether we recognize it or not. He promises us in Romans 8:28 He will

cause everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His

purpose for them.

Jesus had told the disciples they were going to cross to the other side, but they forgot or doubted in the

middle of the storm. We must never forget that God is in control no matter how big the storm gets or

messy the world becomes.

CONCLUSION

Storms in life can be scary, and not knowing how to handle them makes them worst. It may feel like you're

going to drown, but you can trust in Jesus. Shifting our focus from the storm and onto Jesus builds a

deeper confidence in His promises.

Berit Kjos once wrote a piece about peace: Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered. The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd. A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

    The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace? A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. *

    Peace in the midst of a storm – that is perfect peace. Only Jesus can give us this peace.

    “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27

     The only peace that the world can offer is an absence of conflict. Peruse the history of the world and it current state, and one cannot find lasting peace in it. It seems that lasting peace is an impossibility in the world.

    But Jesus offers peace in the midst of conflict and turmoil.

    “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

    The key to this peace is a right relationship with God. The greatest disturber of peace is our sin: it separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), from one another (Galatians 5:15), and it robs us of internal peace (Isaiah 57:20).

    But Jesus, the Prince of peace, left heaven and came to this earth as a man to enable us to have peace. He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins so that we may have peace with God (Romans 5:1), peace with one another (Ephesians 2:14), and peace within ourselves (Philippians 4:6-7).

“Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?

The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.”

-- Edward Henry Bickersteth

    God will give His peace, His forgiveness, and eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to give His peace to those who continue to walk in the light of His Word as the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse such from sin (1 John 1:7-9).

    Know Jesus; know peace. There is no lasting peace anywhere else.