ALWAYS

The Sea of Galilee is also called The Lake of Gennesaret in the Gospel of Luke and the Sea of Tiberias in the Gospel of John. It was haven for fishermen and famous for its sudden and rough tempests.

Jesus spent a lot of time hanging out here.  The area and its surroundings were the settings for many New Testament accounts: The healing of a paralytic lowered thru a roof, the deliverance of a man possessed by demons, feedings of both the 4,000 and 5,000, the healing of a centurion’s servant and the preaching of the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus walked on water here.

He selected several of his disciples along these shores: Peter, Andrew, James, John.

After His resurrection, He came back and cooked His disciples breakfast here.

I’ve been to the Sea of Galilee - ridden on a boat there.  It’s always incredible to imagine a storm so violently pitching the boat that these experienced fishermen would be afraid for their lives, as the Bible seems to indicate.  But it happened here. The Bible says they were a long way from shore when the wind and waves began to batter the boat.

That sounds a lot like life to me.  Sometimes everything is going so smoothly and then, BAM!  In an instant, you find yourself in a storm.

But there are times when the storm is the plan.

Sometimes God sends you on into some bad weather to teach you how to comport yourself in a storm.

Sometimes, God lets you experience a smaller storm today to prep you for a larger one in the future.

There are certain things you can only learn about God (and yourself) in a storm.

Don’t let anybody tell you storms can’t be from God.  A storm is often proof that you’re on the right track.  God is pruning you - perfecting you - forming you into His image more and more.  This doesn’t happen when skies are blue and oceans are still.

You don’t have a storm He cannot calm.

If it’s a relational storm, He says:  ‘I’m your comfort.’

If it’s an intellectual storm, He says:  ‘I’m your way, truth and life.’

If it’s a provisional storm, He says:  ‘I’m your provider.’

If it’s a physical storm, He says:  ‘I’m your healer.’

Whatever the need, He is the solution.