Waves Be Still

My daughter Bethany, and I watched the first message in a series called How to Be Brave from Elevation Church today.  The message is entitled Brave the Waves.  If you have never listened to anything from Pastor Steven Furtick, this is a good place to start.  How can we be brave in the waves of life when we are consumed by them?  I'm telling you, this is something that I struggle with everyday and must take captive everyday.  The waves of doubt, fear, and worry.  There is so much going on in and around our lives that we are shaking our fists at God, asking him if he even cares.  Read Mark 4:34-41.  Jesus says to the disciples that he wants to go to the other side of the sea so they all get in a boat.  Jesus decides to takes a nap and meanwhile a storm kicks up.  The disciples get scared when the water begins to overtake the boat, and they wake Jesus asking him if he cares if they drown!  Now, why wouldn't he care?  After all he's on the boat too.  Jesus is teaching the disciples that when he has ordained and started something that he will finish it.  He said at the beginning of the story, “Let us go over to the other side”.... and I'm pretty sure if Jesus says, "lets us go", he intends to get to the other side.  I LOVE what Steven said in the message about when storms come up.  He said, "Why are you surprised when trouble arises?  He told us to put on the full armor of God, which implies a fight". 

The more we speak doubt, fear and worry into our life the more our hearts become saturated by it.  What is the atmosphere of your heart?  Is it storms and waves crashing, or calm and a light breeze?  In the story, Jesus said only this: "Quiet, Be Still." Then the waves died down and it was completely calm.  If we can speak, "be still" to the waves of doubt, fear and worry in our hearts, then we can overcome by his strength, what is going on in and around our lives.  But remember this when you ask him to quiet the storm in your heart:

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.   James 1:6

Put your faith and trust in a Savior - Jesus Christ.