DAY FOUR || SPEAK TO THE STORM
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. - Mark 4:39 (NIV)
When the disciples woke Jesus up in a panic, He quickly assessed the situation and spoke to the storm - telling it to hush, be quiet. He could have asked the disciples, “What’s wrong? Why are you scared?” Instead, He immediately targeted the thing causing fear and silenced the storm. Removing its power and influence over the disciple's state of being.
Right here, Jesus gives us the blueprint for silencing fear. Speak to it and tell it to stop. Simple, right? It is actually, but oftentimes, just like the disciples, it’s not our first response. In 2 Timothy 1:7, it says “we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind.” And Romans 6:10-11, says “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you”. Just like Jesus, we have the same authority to tell the wind and waves to be quiet, to be still. So why isn’t this our response every single time?
Fear is real. Jesus says “do not be afraid” 365 times in the Bible. Jesus acknowledged that fear is real and something we will face daily. Jesus was aware of the existence of fear but more aware of His power over fear. We must do the same. It’s okay for us to admit that we are scared or that fear is ringing loud in our ears. However, in the midst of it, we must also remember that fear is not our master. Jesus has given us all authority over fear through His death and resurrection.
When we speak to our fears, declaring God’s word, it breaks any false power that fear is trying to have over our lives. We might have to tell fear, to be silent many times before we begin to feel a shift in our mind and heart, but it always works. When we start to confess the word of God over our fears, the storm inside of us quiets down. But what about those times, when our emotions and feelings overwhelm us in the fight against fear? Enter worship. Oh the mighty weapon of worship. Hans Christian Anderson has a famous quote, “Where words fail, music speaks.” This is so true when it comes to combating fear with faith. Worship ignites our faith. When we don’t have the strength to speak directly to the thing causing fear in us, worship can speak for us.
We can’t think our way out of fear, but we can worship our way through it! Our worship has the power to HUSH fear, to SILENCE anxiety and INFUSE FAITH in our hearts and minds. Let your worship rise louder and higher than any fear, worry, or anxiety that you are feeling. Speak to your storm. Tell fear to be still in the name of Jesus. And let the peace of God wash over you, calming every wave of fear!
Prayer
God, I know that Your word and my worship are the greatest weapons I have against fear. Forgive me for giving fear more authority than it deserves. I know that You will never leave me, or forsake me. You are my light and salvation, whom shall I fear? I know I can cry out to You and You will answer me and deliver me from all my fears. I chose today to walk in the power and authority that You have given me through Your son, Jesus Christ. I look fear in the face and say, be quiet. I repent for allowing fear, worry, anxiety or doubt to master my mind and emotions. I chose to today to speak faith in the face of fear and worship through worry. I cast all my cares on You and receive Your perfect peace. Amen.
Daily Scripture
Psalm 91:1-16 (NIV)
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling, even the Lord, who is my refuge, then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy his and show him my salvation.”
