Have Faith in the Storm

Pastor Izzy from Courageous Church recently joined Leah and Dan to breakdown Matthew 8:23–27. Read what he had to say below.

I opened my Bible to Matthew 8:23–27 and immediately felt drawn in.

“Jesus got into the boat with his disciples, and suddenly a furious storm came up… but Jesus was sleeping.” This image always strikes me. Chaos all around. Waves crashing. Disciples panicking. But Jesus? Asleep.

They wake him and cry out, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” In another gospel, they even say, “Don’t you care that we’re about to drown?”

Jesus responds gently but firmly. “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and waves and it was completely calm.

The disciples were stunned. “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and waves obey him!”

So, what do I learn about God here? That Jesus calms the storm. Not just the weather but the storm in my heart. I’ve had seasons of fear. Times I couldn’t sleep. Panic attacks. Depression. Other times, everything around me was falling apart.

But in those moments, when I gave my heart to Jesus, I found a peace I couldn’t find anywhere else. “Jesus can give a peace to your life and to your heart that nothing else can give.”

That’s who he is. That’s what he does. He calms the storm.

And what do I learn about people? That fear makes us catastrophise. The disciples jumped to the worst-case scenario. “We’re going to die!” But Jesus invites us to have faith in the storm.

Maybe that storm is in your mind. Maybe you’re battling anxiety or depression. Maybe it’s in your relationships, your finances, or your future.

Can I encourage you? Even if you’ve never prayed before call out to Jesus. Just say, “Jesus, help!” “The Bible says whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

And while your circumstances may not change instantly, something deeper happens. “There’s a peace that transcends. It’s not like this world. It’s different.”

That’s the peace I’ve found. That’s the storm he calms.

So whatever you’re facing have faith in the storm.

Listen to the full message below.