Let the Storm Speak
Walking on Water – Mark 6:48 (Matt 14:22-33; John 6:19)
Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.
Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea,
and would have passed them by.
Why would Jesus potentially just walk by?
He saw them straining
He saw the circumstances ‘set against’ them
Mark 4:38
But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
We are disturbed by something that seems very comfortable to Jesus
God’s Environment
Revelations 4
3 there was a rainbow around the throne,
5 from the throne proceeded lightnings, and thunderings,
6 before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal
Ps 97:2
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
2 Sam 22:12
He made darkness canopies around Him, dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
We need some clouds!
Clouds bring His presence
He moves on the cloud
When Jesus left earth after His resurrection, how did He leave?
Acts 1:9
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched,
He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Luke 21:27
Jesus told us that we would see Him
“coming in a cloud with power and great glory”
Ps 104:3
He makes the clouds His chariot, He walks on the wings of the wind.
Ps 68:34
Proclaim the power of God; His strength is in the clouds.
You need to sing something else, because that’s bad theology
You say you want it to rain, but…
The first indicator of rain is darkness
We rebuke the conditions that bring Blessings
We pray for blessing
Storms bring Blessings
Ezek 34:26-27a.
"I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.
Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase.”
If you’re praying for blessings, then…
You’ve got to change your attitude about storms
We all want the favor of God
Prov 16:15
The King’s favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.
God gives us favor to produces growth & increase in our lives
God gives us rains and storms to stimulate that increase
So, when you get in a storm & start asking God to stop your storm
You are potentially stunting your growth process
But, if you are pursuing God
Hosea 6:3 gives us a promise of rains
Actually, scripture promises different rains in different seasons
Deut 11:13-14
If you love the Lord & serve Him with all your heart & all your soul
14 then I will give you the rain for your land in its season,
the early rain and the latter rain,
that you may gather in your [increase].
Here’s how it works:
When God gets ready to plant something in you – establish you
He sends the Early rains – to prepare your heart
Storms change the texture of your heart
Those rains break up your resistant, reluctant, rebellious ground
Loosens the roots of tree
When He’s ready to promote you – to increase you
He sends the Latter rains
These rains prepare you to receive your increase
Zach 10:1 tells us that if we ask the Lord for increase
He will “make storm clouds” and send the early and latter rain
When it gets dark because the clouds are rolling in
God is about to do something, or say something
Don’t let your Fear & Doubt stop storms
God sees you struggling in your Storm
He’s not rescuing you
because something is about to be born in you
In the beginning, in the darkness, God hovered over the waters
He began to call creation out of the stormy waters
Creation still happens that way
You are in the waters – your Spiritual Embryonic Sac
Yes, your storm is intensifying
The greater the storm, the greater the blessing
The closer the pain, the closer the birth
But when it’s time – the waters break!
He made you to be creative in Storms – not fearful
Don’t miss your creative moment in your storm!
Don’t rebuke the moment you’re called to give birth
John 7:38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,
Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.
Let Your Storm Speak
Prayer:
You who dwells in the dark cloud – 2 Chron 6:1
You who speaks to us out of the cloud – Ex 34:5; Mk 9:7
You who answers us in the secret place of thunder – Ps 81:7
You who fills us like a rushing, might wind
Make us to know and understand what Ps 107:25 says
That it’s You who commands & raises up the stormy winds
So we pray for the rains – the early & latter rains
Grow us, Increase Us
Birth your plans in us
We walk on the waters by Faith in our storm
And Not in Fear