| Matthew
records, 'Jesus got into a boat, and His followers [disciples] went
with Him. A great storm arose...' (vv. 23-24 NCV). In the Greek language
the words 'a great storm' are one word - seismos. A seismologist
studies earthquakes and a seismograph measures them. So the storm the
disciples were in must have shaken them to the core. There's an
important lesson here. Getting on board with Jesus doesn't mean you will
never go through a storm. Jesus said, '...In the world you will have
tribulation...' (John 16:33 NKJV). In spite of God's promise to protect
and prosper us, you'll still have to deal with things like disease,
lack, and fear. The difference is: the unbeliever faces the storm
without Christ, but as a believer you go through the storm confident
that all will be well because Jesus is on board. Does that mean you will
never experience panic? If only it were so! But it isn't. Looking at
the swelling waves and the sleeping Saviour, the disciples asked, '...do
You not care that we are perishing?' (Mark 4:38 NKJV). This is why fear
is so deadly. It corrodes your confidence in God's goodness. It
unleashes a swarm of doubts. It deadens your recall. By this time the
disciples had witnessed Jesus '...healing all kinds of sickness and all
kinds of disease among the people' (Matthew 4:23 NKJV). Fear creates a
form of spiritual amnesia. It dulls your miracle memory. It makes you
forget what Jesus has done and how good God is. That's why you must
starve your doubts and feed your faith on God's Word, for faith is what
will take you through the storm.
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