This past week, I’ve been copying the Scripture Writing Schedule on the “Wind.” Now, you might think that the “Wind” is a strange topic to spend a week writing about, but I’ve loved it! Have you ever meditated or really thought about what a powerful thing the wind is? Those who have survived hurricanes or tornados know the damage those gusts can do. In the King James Version, there are 58 verses about the wind, and it is mentioned 113 times.
The first mention of the wind is found in Genesis 8:1 when “God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark, and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged.” The Bible often speaks of the four winds. The cold north wind brought rain clouds (Job 37:22). The south wind was a sign of hot weather (Luke 12:55), and the west wind brought rain (I Kings 18:44-45). We know that the God used the wind to get Elijah’s attention, “Behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind” (I Kings 19a). The “Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken” (Jonah 1:4), when Jonah tried to “run in the opposite direction” from where God instructed him to go.
There are two occasions when Jesus used the wind as an object lesson. One is found in Matthew 8:26-27. Jesus and His disciples were on a boat in the Sea of Galilee when a storm arose. The disciples were panicking. The Lord was sleeping. They woke Him up, “and He said unto them, ‘Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?’ Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. But the men marveled saying, “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” The Lord showed His disciples His power over nature. The second time is found in Matthew 14:22-33. This is when His disciples were in a ship at night and He was not with them. The “ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:24-25). Peter asked, “Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. And He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, ‘Lord, save me.’ And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased” (Matthew 14:28-32). Did you notice that when Peter became afraid of the wind and called out to Him – Jesus immediately reached out and caught him? Think about that – He will do the same for us today.
Our faith must grow as Christians, “that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with ever wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, where by they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14). We must always, “ask in faith, nothing wavering; For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6). For without faith, prayer is useless.
One of the most interesting parables, we often just think of as a “children’s story” because of the “Wise Man Song,” but Jesus ended His powerful “Sermon on the Mount” with the parable of the wise and foolish men, who both built a house (Matthew 7:24-27). The wise man built his house upon the rock, while the foolish man built his house upon the sand. Have you ever thought about how the “rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon ‘BOTH’ houses?” The house built upon the strong rock foundations was able to withstand that which fell upon it, but the foolish man’s house collapsed under the strain of the conditions outside. Friends, if we’re going to survive when “the winds blow,” we’ve got to build our lives by following His Word, and we can be assured by His promise “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). “And when the winds blow, He is my shelter, and when I’m lost and alone, He rescues me . . .” (I Am A Sheep song). Oh, how we are “simply blessed,” Courtney
VERY GOOD !!