“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’” (Matthew 8:23–25 NIV)

 

The film The Perfect Storm tells the story of an actual storm off the coast of Massachusetts in 1991—in fact, the strongest storm in recorded history. This so-called perfect storm was the result of three storms that combined into one, creating an almost apocalyptic situation in the Atlantic Ocean. Two existing storms were hit by a hurricane, ironically dubbed Hurricane Grace. The combination of these three weather elements produced a monstrous, two-thousand-mile-wide hurricane that triggered one-hundred-foot waves.

In Matthew 8 we find a story of Jesus’ disciples facing what could be described as a Hurricane Grace of their own. We are told that Jesus “got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping” (verses 23–24 NIV).

Notice that verse 23 says, “His disciples followed him” (NIV). And where did that lead? Right into a storm. This storm came because the disciples obeyed the Lord, not because they disobeyed Him. Sometimes when troubles come, we say that it’s a result of disobedience. But it may be that the storm is a result of obedience.

God can use the storms in our lives to accomplish His purposes. As the saying goes, the same hammer that shatters glass also forges steel. Sometimes it seems as though it would be better if we never went through a storm. We think life always should be easy. But there are things we learn in storms. There are things we learn in hardships and crises that we don’t learn anywhere else.

For one thing, we learn what we’re capable of—or, more specifically, what God is capable of, working through us. Until we’re faced with a crisis, we can only guess at our potential. In the eye of the storm, our potential is realized. We expand our concept of what our faith can accomplish.

For another, we learn what genuine dependency on God feels like. Many people approach the Christian faith cautiously. They’re not as apt as Peter to jump out of a boat onto a choppy sea to walk with Jesus. Instead, they prefer to keep at least one foot in their comfort zone. Storms have a way of obliterating our comfort zone. We have no choice but to rely completely on God.

And for another, we learn how to help others who are struggling. Our storm-tossed struggles give us experience and legitimacy. Instead of offering sympathy, we can offer empathy. We can be valuable to others because we know what they need.

Where there are no trials in life, there are no triumphs. God has His purposes in the storms. And just as Jesus was with His disciples, He will be with us, too.

 

Reflection question: What have you learned from storms in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, &lsquo;Lord, save us! We&rsquo;re going to drown!&rsquo;&rdquo; (Matthew 8:23&ndash;25 NIV)
&nbsp;
The film The Perfect Storm tells the story of an actual storm off the coast of Massachusetts in 1991&mdash;in fact, the strongest storm in recorded history. This so-called perfect storm was the result of three storms that combined into one, creating an almost apocalyptic situation in the Atlantic Ocean. Two existing storms were hit by a hurricane, ironically dubbed Hurricane Grace. The combination of these three weather elements produced a monstrous, two-thousand-mile-wide hurricane that triggered one-hundred-foot waves.
In Matthew 8 we find a story of Jesus&rsquo; disciples facing what could be described as a Hurricane Grace of their own. We are told that Jesus &ldquo;got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping&rdquo; (verses 23&ndash;24 NIV).
Notice that verse 23 says, &ldquo;His disciples followed him&rdquo; (NIV). And where did that lead? Right into a storm. This storm came because the disciples obeyed the Lord, not because they disobeyed Him. Sometimes when troubles come, we say that it&rsquo;s a result of disobedience. But it may be that the storm is a result of obedience.
God can use the storms in our lives to accomplish His purposes. As the saying goes, the same hammer that shatters glass also forges steel. Sometimes it seems as though it would be better if we never went through a storm. We think life always should be easy. But there are things we learn in storms. There are things we learn in hardships and crises that we don&rsquo;t learn anywhere else.
For one thing, we learn what we&rsquo;re capable of&mdash;or, more specifically, what God is capable of, working through us. Until we&rsquo;re faced with a crisis, we can only guess at our potential. In the eye of the storm, our potential is realized. We expand our concept of what our faith can accomplish.
For another, we learn what genuine dependency on God feels like. Many people approach the Christian faith cautiously. They&rsquo;re not as apt as Peter to jump out of a boat onto a choppy sea to walk with Jesus. Instead, they prefer to keep at least one foot in their comfort zone. Storms have a way of obliterating our comfort zone. We have no choice but to rely completely on God.
And for another, we learn how to help others who are struggling. Our storm-tossed struggles give us experience and legitimacy. Instead of offering sympathy, we can offer empathy. We can be valuable to others because we know what they need.
Where there are no trials in life, there are no triumphs. God has His purposes in the storms. And just as Jesus was with His disciples, He will be with us, too.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What have you learned from storms in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

God uses storms in our lives to accomplish His purposes.

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