\u00a0<\/p>\n
The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:8\u201310 (ESV):<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cFor at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Paul is saying that a true believer doesn\u2019t just claim<\/em> to walk in the light \u2014 he proves<\/em> it by continually testing and discerning what pleases God. This means our walk with God is not passive; it is intentional. Every decision, attitude, and action should be weighed in the light of \u201cDoes this please the Lord?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The word \u201cdiscern\u201d (Greek: dokimaz\u014d<\/strong>) literally means \u201cto test, examine, or prove.\u201d So the believer must live in a constant posture of spiritual sensitivity \u2014 testing everything, keeping what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and discarding what displeases God.<\/p>\n Today, we will learn one of the things that greatly pleases the Lord \u2014 faith that remains steadfast in the storm.<\/strong><\/p>\n Luke 8:22\u201325 (NKJV)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNow it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, \u2018Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.\u2019 And they launched out. This account is rich with divine revelation. Jesus and His disciples were crossing to the other side of the Sea of Galilee \u2014 not for leisure, but for ministry<\/strong>. On the other side was a man possessed by a legion<\/em> of demons (Luke 8:26\u201339), who would later become a powerful witness to his community after being set free.<\/p>\n The storm, therefore, was not random<\/strong>. It was a direct satanic assault intended to hinder the work of God. The Bible calls Satan \u201cthe prince of the power of the air\u201d<\/em> (Ephesians 2:2), meaning he sometimes operates through natural elements \u2014 winds, storms, and circumstances \u2014 to bring fear and doubt into the hearts of believers.<\/p>\n But even when Satan attacks, God allows it for a higher purpose: to test and strengthen our faith.<\/p>\n The text says, \u201cAs they sailed, He fell asleep.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n That\u2019s not a sign of indifference \u2014 it\u2019s a test of faith<\/strong>. Psalm 121:4 reminds us:<\/p>\n \u201cBehold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So, even when it seems like Jesus is \u201casleep\u201d in our lives, He is fully aware. He may be silent, but He is not absent. His silence is meant to reveal whether we trust His word<\/em> more than our circumstances<\/em>.<\/p>\n Jesus had already said, \u201cLet us go over to the other side.\u201d<\/em> His word was a divine guarantee of arrival. The storm could not cancel His promise. Likewise, in our own lives, if Christ has spoken a word over us \u2014 whether through Scripture or the inner witness of the Spirit \u2014 we must hold onto it even when the waves rise.<\/p>\n Romans 10:17 (NKJV) says:<\/p>\n \u201cSo then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.\u201d When the disciples cried out, \u201cMaster, we are perishing!\u201d<\/em>, Jesus responded by calming the storm \u2014 but then He rebuked their unbelief: \u201cWhere is your faith?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Faith is one of the most powerful expressions of what pleases God. The writer of Hebrews declares:<\/p>\n Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAnd without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n God is pleased when we trust<\/em> Him \u2014 not only when the sea is calm, but when the storm is raging. Faith says, \u201cEven if I don\u2019t see Him moving, He\u2019s still in control.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Faith is not proven in peace; it is proven in pressure. The boat represents your life<\/strong> \u2014 your journey of faith, your ministry, your family, your calling. And Jesus in the boat represents the abiding presence of God through the Holy Spirit<\/strong> (John 14:17).<\/p>\n As long as Christ is \u201cin your boat,\u201d it cannot sink. You may take on water, but you will not drown. Isaiah 43:2 (ESV) assures us:<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n You might feel shaken, but you are never abandoned.<\/p>\n When trials come, our natural response is to fear or complain. The disciples panicked and said, \u201cWe are perishing!\u201d<\/em> The Israelites did the same in the wilderness.<\/p>\n Exodus 16:2\u20133 (NIV):<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIn the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, \u2018If only we had died by the Lord\u2019s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Their fear made them forget God\u2019s faithfulness. Yet God still provided manna and quail \u2014 not because they pleased Him, but because He is merciful. However, their unbelief delayed their destiny.<\/p>\n Likewise, many Christians today cry out in despair the moment hardship comes. God may still answer, but He is not always pleased. Mature believers trust even when they can\u2019t trace God\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n There was never any real danger of the boat sinking. Jesus\u2019 presence was the guarantee of safety. Psalm 46:1\u20133 (ESV) reminds us:<\/p>\n \u201cGod is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Faith that rests in God\u2019s sovereignty pleases Him deeply. Having Jesus in your boat means keeping Him in your heart \u2014 through obedience, holiness, and communion with His Word<\/strong>. \u201cIf anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n When the storm comes, obedience anchors you. Holiness guards you. And faith sustains you.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to \u201cwake\u201d Jesus through panic prayers; faith-filled trust will calm the storm before fear takes root.<\/p>\n Faith that pleases God does not deny the storm \u2014 it simply refuses to be moved by it.<\/p>\n Even if Jesus seems silent, your confidence must remain firm: Let us, therefore, grow from faith that panics to faith that rests \u2014 from faith that cries \u201cwe\u2019re perishing!\u201d to faith that says \u201cwe\u2019re crossing over!\u201d<\/p>\n May we be among those who please the Lord by believing Him through<\/em> the storm, not only after<\/em> it.<\/p>\n Romans 15:13 (NIV):<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cMay the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\n2. Jesus in the Boat: The Storm and the Lesson<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.
And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, \u2018Master, Master, we are perishing!\u2019 Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.
But He said to them, \u2018Where is your faith?\u2019 And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, \u2018Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n3. When Christ Seems Asleep<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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The disciples heard the word, but they failed to believe it when tested.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n4. Faith that Pleases God<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Anyone can believe when the sun is shining, but mature faith continues to rest when thunder rolls.<\/p>\n
\n5. The Symbolism of the Boat<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The storm represents trials, spiritual warfare, uncertainty, and fear<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n
\n6. The Danger of Panic and Complaining<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\n7. When Faith Rests, Storms Cease<\/strong><\/h3>\n
When you walk with Christ, no storm has the authority to destroy what God has ordained<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
When we trust that \u201call things work together for good\u201d (Romans 8:28), we honor Him as Lord even over the storm.<\/p>\n
\n8. How to Keep Jesus \u201cin the Boat\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n
John 14:23 (NKJV):<\/p>\n\n
\n9. Conclusion: The Faith That Pleases God<\/strong><\/h3>\n
He is in control.
He is faithful.
He cannot fail.<\/p>\n\n