What happened on April 14, 1912? The unthinkable happened. The unsinkable sunk. I’m speaking of course of the Titanic. The final message in morse code from the great ship was SOS. But everyone was too far away, and help did not come.
Sometimes life makes us feel as though we are on our own personal Titanic. We feel powerless to help ourselves and feel as though others are too far away. The Disciples of Jesus had such an experience. We read in Matt 8:23-27, “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!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’”
Notice 3 realities regarding storms and powerlessness:
- Storms are real and can be overpowering.
There are many people in our church family who are going through personal storms right now. Maybe you’re going through a storm of your own. We all do from time to time, it’s part of being human. From being served with divorce papers, to being homeless or under-resourced, to losing a job, or facing a big health challenge, personal storms are real. What we know to be true and see in this story from Jesus’ life is that storms:
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- Can be sudden and unexpected.
- Can make us feel helpless, hopeless, and powerless.
- Can affect us and others around us.
What is your storm today? Like the disciples, I urge you to turn to Jesus. You may feel powerless but if you place your faith in Him, then His power is at work in you. And that power is unlimited! So turn to Christ. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
- We all feel overwhelmed and overpowered at times.
A Harris poll stated that 54% of all adults feel alienated and powerless. Being powerless creates feelings of hopelessness, despair, and failure. I talk with people every week who feel these real-life feelings. I received an email recently from a woman going through a very difficult storm in her life. One line jumped out at me; she said, “I feel overwhelmed…”. Maybe you do, too. So did the disciples. Notice:
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- They were overwhelmed.
- They felt powerless, hopeless, and afraid.
- There was nothing they could do but despair.
But they got it right in the end and they turned to Jesus and trusted Him. Allow these scriptures to build your faith and encourage your heart…especially if you feel overwhelmed today. Ephesians 6:10: “Finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” I Chronicles 16:11: “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek his face always.”
- The ultimate key to survival is your power source.
The disciples were hanging on for their dear lives and they turned to Jesus. This third point is the most important. Sometimes we turn to ourselves, our finances, our wisdom, our abilities as the ultimate source of power. But only Jesus is all-powerful and can meet our every need. Our church is full of incredible electricians and electrical engineers who could tell you some great stories about power and what happens when you use the wrong power source vs. the right power source; probably some frightening stories too. In the end, the disciples got it right.
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- They turned to Jesus.
- Jesus rescued them.
- They were amazed.
Note to self here: Turn to Him; trust Him; be amazed. Never stop being amazed. Don’t ever let God’s presence and love and power be commonplace and unmoving. Always be stirred by the fact that He came for you, to you, and to be with you. Never stop being amazed that He came to die for you, save you, and purchase Heaven for you. Never stop being amazed by the virgin birth, resurrection, healing of the blind/sick/crippled/leper/raising of the dead. This same Jesus is with you. He is all-powerful, and through Him you are never powerless. I Chronicles 29:11 says, “Yours Lord, is the greatness and power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
SOS: Storms are real. We will feel Overwhelmed at times. But Jesus is our Source and nothing is too great for Him.