HELP IN THE MIDST OF A STORM

Proclamation:

"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now 
full ... And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace, be still.'   And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm ... And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 'What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"  Mark 4:37-41 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Mark.  The situation was such that, because of the large crowd on the shore, Jesus sat in the ship on the lake and taught the crowd. (Mark 4:1)  After He had taught them a number of parables, He said to His disciples, let us go across to the other side of the lake. (Mark 4:35)  As they were crossing the lake a storm with strong winds arose causing waves that splashed water into the ship. (Mark 4:37)  The disciples were fearful and woke Jesus, and He calmed the wind and the sea by saying, "Peace, be still."

Application:

The disciples, who were followers of Jesus, The Christ, and who were with Him at the time, did not really understand who He was or the power that He possessed.  They were in awe that the wind and the sea obeyed Him.  Many of the believers today who are followers of Christ do not understand the power which He has.  Jesus does keep us from some things, but He allows us to get caught up in some storms to show us that He can bring us through the storms. (John 16:33)  He can calm the storms in our lives, but He can also help us to overcome the storms. (Romans 8:37 and 1 John 4:4)  Jesus is always in control of the circumstances in our lives, and we can access His awesome power to deal with them if we believe, pray, ask for it, and have faith that it will be done. (John 14:13)  We need to trust Him to help us when storms hit our life.  He may not choose to end the storm, but He will be with us through the storm.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF ANYTHING

Proclamation:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear ..."  Psalms 46:1-2 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were recorded by the Sons of Korah under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  It is a song which was sung by the people of God to remind them that He is powerful and merciful in defending His believers.  Therefore, they have no need to be overcome with fear.

Application:
There is no need for believers to be afraid of anything.  The Lord God will strengthen us when we are weak.  He will hid and shield us when we need protection.  He will help us when we are in trouble.  If God is for us, then who can stand against us? (Romans 8:31)  So, what do we have to be afraid of?  This Psalm gives us the assurance and unshakable confidence that we are secure in God, no matter what happens to us, or around us. There is no need for us to be afraid of anything or anyone.  God did not give us the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)  When the storms of life come, God is our "bridge over troubled waters", and He is our “shelter in the time of storm."

GOD IS

Proclamation:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble." Psalms 46:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm is a psalm of the sons of Korah.  It is a song which proclaims some of the attributes of God, His abilities, and His power over nature.  He is all powerful (omnipotent, Matthew 19:26), all knowing (omniscient, Ephesians 3:10), and is everywhere at the same time. (omni-present, Jeremiah 23:24)  God can do for us things which we cannot do on our own or for ourselves. (Genesis 18:14) 

Application:

When we are in trouble and need help, it is God who helps us, protects us, and gives us the strength that we need to go on and continue.  We are secure during the storms of life because God is our mighty fortress.  The song “God Is” says, "God is my protection ... God is my guide and direction ... God is my joy in the time of sorrow … God is my hope for today and all my tomorrows … God is my all in all.  God is the joy and the strength of my life; He moves all pain, misery, and strife.  He promised to keep me, never to leave me.  He’s never ever come short of His word … I want to go with Him when He comes back, I’ve come too far and I’ll never turn back.  God is … God is… God is my all in all.”  He is our every thing and He is all that we need.

GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH

Proclamation:

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."  Psalms 46:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were recorded under the divine inspiration of The Holy Spirit of God by the Sons of Korah.  The purpose of this psalm was, and is, to inform believers that The Lord God is always present, in good times and bad.  He is our shelter and our protection, and it is with His strength that we can continue on our journey.  When we get in trouble He is always there to help us.

Application:

As believers we know that God is our refuge, our hiding place (Psalms 32:7 and Psalms 119:114), our fortress (2 Samuel 22:2, Psalms 18:2, Psalms 31:3, Psalms 91:2, and Psalms 144:2), and our strong tower. (Psalms 61:3 and Proverbs 18:10)  It is said that in order to protect us He hides us under His wings. (Psalms 17:8, Psalms 36:7 and Psalms 91:4)  It is by His strength that we carry on and continue. (1 Chronicles 16:11, 1 Chronicles 16:27, Psalms 28:8, Psalms 29:11, and Psalms 59:9)  He need not give us the strength to fight our enemies, for that battle is His. (2 Chronicles 20:15)  We just need to put on the whole armor of God and stand against evil. (Ephesians 6:11-18)  When trouble comes, God is the only one we should turn to.  He has to power to handle any situation and to help us through any circumstance.  God is our refuge and our strength.