Mark 4:35
“And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.”
Did Jesus know that a storm would come when He said, “Let us pass over unto the other side”? He absolutely knew there would be a storm. In fact, when you study this whole chapter, you will see that Jesus prepared His disciples for the storms with the sermons He preached and the illustrations He used. There were five things that Jesus tried to teach His disciples before they faced this storm to prepare them for the upcoming storm.
First, He taught them the importance of staying in the Word of God. The first parable Jesus taught was the parable of the sower. There are several lessons in this parable, but the one prevailing theme was the importance of the Word of God. Nobody will ever make it through the storms without having hid the Word of God in their heart. It is important that you daily spend time in the Scriptures so that you can face the storms that come your way.
Second, He taught them the importance of keeping a tender heart. In the parable of the sower, the only seed that was able to grow was the one that fell on good ground. Having a tender heart towards God helps you to receive instruction from His Word. Don’t ever let your heart become hardened with the affairs of this world, but let it stay tender so you can soak every truth God has for you in His Word.
Third, He taught them the importance of staying spiritually minded. One of the things that kept the Word of God from growing in their hearts were the cares of this world. When you are more interested in the world than you are the Word of God, then you will have no spiritual depth to face the upcoming storms. Keep your mind focused on Christ, and the things of the world will not keep you from getting the needed nutrients from the Word of God.
Fourth, He taught them the importance of telling others about Him. Jesus taught them in another parable about setting a candle in an open place so it could give forth its light. Soul winning has a way of helping you face the storms in life. It helps you because it has a way of motivating you to put sin away so that you can have a better testimony with those to whom you witness.
Fifth, He taught them the importance of growing their faith. The last parable Jesus taught them before facing the storm was the parable of the mustard seed. One of the best ways to grow your faith is through having an active prayer life. When you pray and see God come through, it grows your faith. If your faith is small, you will have a hard time facing the storms when they come your way.
Whether or not you like it, storms will come your way. How you apply these five things before the storms will determine how you come through the storms. Let me encourage you not to wait for the storms to start doing these things, but do them now so that you are prepared when they come. It is always better to be prepared for the storms so you can lessen their pressure upon you than to be unprepared and have to learn these lessons through the storms. Storms will come, but you can be prepared for them by letting these five things become a regular part of your daily life.