• Home
  • Blog
  • Our Story of Restoration
BrinaLynn

BrinaLynn

Finding Hope & Joy in the Everyday Trenches

  • Marriage
    • Marriage Tips & Advice
    • Marriage Restoration
  • Money
    • Saving Money
    • Budgeting
    • Meals & Meal Planning
  • Motherhood
    • Large Family Living
    • Parenting
    • Organization
    • Holidays
      • Christmas
      • Thanksgiving
      • Halloween
  • Homeschool
  • Faith & Encouragement
You are here: Home / Faith & Encouragement / 3 Things to Help Us Trust Despite the Storm

3 Things to Help Us Trust Despite the Storm

Faith & Encouragement

72 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

This post may contain affiliate links to products. As an affiliate, I earn money from qualifying purchases. Please read my full disclosure here.

Storms awe me, but they also scare me. I’d like to be like Mr. King, our across-the-dirt-road neighbor when I was a kid. He would sit out on the front porch and watch lightening storms. I thought the man was crazy, but now I wish I had his assurance and peace because the storm, though it scares me, can be beautiful. What I understand now is that Mr. King had trust despite the storm.

Walking on water

In our small group recently, we studied the passage in Matthew (14:22-33) where Jesus walked on water. You probably know the story, but in case you don’t, here’s the short version. Jesus had just fed the 5,000 men, besides women and children. After that, He sent the disciples away on a boat to cross the sea while he went to pray. The waves battered the boat and the winds were contrary. Jesus watched the storm unfold from a distance, and then He went to them, walking on water!

They didn’t recognize Him and thought He was a ghost.They were scared until He called to them telling them it was He.  Then Peter, one of the twelve disciples, said, “If it’s you, then tell me to come to you.” So, Jesus did. Peter stepped out of the boat and he, too, walked on water.  It wasn’t until he began to doubt that he began to sink. Jesus reached out to Peter to save him but admonished him about his lack of faith. “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)

Stepping out isn’t easy.

In case you were wondering, I most likely would have been as far to the middle of the boat as possible!  But Peter, once he knew it was Jesus, wanted to go to Him. And when Jesus said, “Come,” Peter stepped out of the safety of the boat and into the storm without hesitation.

Trusting despite the storm takes focus. Peter was focused on Jesus and nothing else, at least for a few moments.  When you have been wanting to do something and wanting to hear Jesus say, “come,” you excitedly (though scared and cautious) step out.  Because I finally hear Jesus say, “Come,” I’m guilty of thinking it’s all going to be smooth sailing.

Related Post:Three Lies About Your Calling & The Truth You Need

Funny thing, though…. In the story in Matthew, Jesus didn’t calm the winds and waves at that point.  He allowed them to batter Peter without the safety of the boat. Peter failed the test. He stepped out on faith, getting out of the boat. But when he got out there and all the turmoil was going on around him, he lost focus and began to doubt.

I am so much like Peter. When life’s storms surround me, even after I have heard the command to come, I freak out–doubting, blaming God for letting the waves overtake me.  I begin to slip beneath them, and I cry out for Jesus to help me.  He’s there ready to reach out, but at the same time, he admonishes me: Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?

3 Things to help us trust despite the storm

How do we trust despite the storm?

So, how do we trust despite the crazy, raging storm all around us?

Focus.

We have to be like Peter and have our focus on the One who created the storm and the sea. It’s easy to trust at first…until the realness of the storm is against you. It is then that our eyes have to stay on Jesus and not on the waves battering us on all sides. We have to choose not to believe the lies we hear, and instead stay focused on the Truth and His Word.

Believe.

Even when we cannot see. That’s when it matters most–when the storm is so bad that we can barely see our hand in front of us. Jesus is there on the water with us, waiting to catch us, testing us to believe He’s there and to trust His call.

Remember.

Remember Who called you. If you called yourself out onto the waves, you probably have reason to be afraid, but if the Master of the winds and waves called you, trust Him. Remember when He called, how He called, where you were, what you were doing. Maybe you were on a boat or at work or [like me] in a graveyard.

Related Post: What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

When the sea begins to overtake me, I lose my focus, begin to doubt, and I forget His promises and His call.

What about you?  Do you find yourself slipping beneath the waves, too? When you find yourself in that place, focus on Jesus, believe that He’s there even when you can’t see Him (and call out to him), and remember that He did, in fact, call you!

If you struggle with trusting like I do oftentimes, I urge you to check out the book Trust Without Borders by Arabah Joy. In my current “private” storm (the one raging within myself that most people don’t see), this book has really been an encouragement and a light as I fight to trust despite the wind and waves.

April 6, 2017 · 2 Comments

Previous Post: « When You Feel Like Having a Hissy Fit, Do This Instead
Next Post: Taking Life Moment by Moment »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rachel Sauls Arnold says

    April 6, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    One of my favorites!

    Reply
    • Brina Lynn says

      April 7, 2017 at 9:08 pm

      Mine too! The lesson never quite hit me before the way it did this time. 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hey, ya'll! I'm BrinaLynn, wife to my high school sweetheart, homeschooling mom to 8, coffee drinker, and friend of the written word.  My desire is it to encourage you [and me] as we find ourselves in life's trenches--and to somehow find joy there!

Read more

Looking for something?



  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Footer

Helpful Links

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Looking for Something?

Bible Verse of the Day

But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Luke 18:27

Copyright © 2023 · anchored theme by Restored 316

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT