Psalm 107:24-31, “These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. 25For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 28Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.31Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”

 Life is a journey. The Psalmist tells of those who travelled on the sea and how they encountered stormy winds, and how the waves of the wind became so heavy that it went over their ship till they began to go sink. They felt trouble around them. They were being beaten right, left and centre by the wind. They came to their wits’-end but there was a divine intervention.

Life is voyage; going from one place to another, like the disciples of Jesus who were going to the other side and suddenly a storm and wind arose in the course of the journey. In this journey of life, there are spiritual forces called storms, winds, thunder, thunderstorms or stormy winds of life. They are forces beyond our controls often times. When we take off in the journey of life, we do not take off alone. There are certain forces that take off with us either to assist us or to resist us. More often than not, the forces that take off with us are there to resist us. It is only the divine intervention of God that gives victory over them. So when the storms of life take off with a person, it’s either to assist or resist a person.

There are contrary evil winds that choose to resist a person in the journey of life. Our journeys in life begin at various phases and levels. With some of us, a journey of life begins with graduating from the college and planning to get a job and to start earning income. And when you begin such journeys, you don’t continue in that journey alone, winds begin to blow to assist or resist that journey. You graduate from college and you are hoping that within a few months of graduating, you will get a good job but when the wind of life begin to blow, two or three years, you are still searching for a job and you don’t understand what is going on. With some, the journey of life begin with plans to get marriage and begin to have children. Within a short time, you achieve your goals; you got married and within a year, you have a child and it looks like the wind of life is assist you. But you and I know that often times, it is not always the case. Another form of wind can begin to blow and expectations become delayed and denied. two, three, four, five years down the line, nothing seem to be coming forth. You begin to chart a career path for yourself that at age of 25, I must have a job; by 30, I should be married; by 31, I should have a house of my own; by 35, I should have at least my second or third child; by 40, my career path must have taken me to this certain level. By the time I’m 50, I should have become financially independent.

Everybody has great and wonderful plans, but you will agree with me that when the winds of life begin to blow, it can truncate many of our plans. Some also began life journey by relocating from one country to another, with the plan of achieving and living a better life. Some trained very hard to become something great in life, but at the end they became something else either for better or for the worse.

We all desire peaceful career, homes and environment; peaceful settlement, peaceful children. Nobody prayed for troubled or violent children, but when the stormy winds of life begin to blow, it’s not always as we plan. A man came to Europe from Africa, having practiced in Africa for about seven years, getting to Europe, his expectation was to pass the conversion examination within one year maximum and to begin to practice and enjoy the greener pasture of Europe. Lo and behold,  as he took off from Africa, the winds of life also took off with him to assist him or to resist him. His expectation of becoming qualified within one year was resisted by the stormy winds of life and nine years after arriving Europe, he has sat for the exam nine times and yet could not become a qualified Medical Doctor. Until divine intervention came to silence the stormy winds of life.

I also know a couple who took off from Africa some twenty years ago to England, and their plan was on getting to England, within one month, maximum two months, their storm of childlessness will end with one single advance fertility treatment that had been recommended to them. But when they came, the storm that took off with them on that journey was a contrary wind, and all the so called treatment failed until the master of the stormy wind stepped in.

When storms begin to blow to resist your expectations, a lot of things can begin to take place. What are the results of stormy winds of life blowing against someone’s expectations, plans, prayers and desires in life?

Psalm 107:25-26, ” 25For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.“

1- We see from this story that  the stormy winds of life lifted up the waves of the sea, and the bible says it mounted up to the heavens. When you look at that carefully, it gives you a picture; storm lifting up the waves of the sea; mounting up to the heavens. Mounting up gives a picture of overwhelming problems. the word ‘mount’ comes from the word ‘mountain’ Have you not heard of mounting bills? Whatever is mounting up against you will come down. When complaints are mounting up. Is anyone familiar with mounting up accusations. You did the work and they kept saying you didn’t do it well.  When the storm of life to resist someone’s destiny, things begin to mount up. Bills are mounting up; health is problems mounting up; negative comments mounting up against you.

2- The second result is that instead of going up, they go down. Instead of going forward, you are moving backward because of the storm. Every storm intending to sink you, God will cause it to cease.

3-The third thing that happens when storm arise is that Their melt because of trouble, and so the person becomes worried, troubled on every side, frustration sets in, depression comes, and that is why the peace of God becomes necessary. Are you troubled, anxious, depressed, and frustrated because of the stormy winds, Jesus will calm the storm in Jesus’ name.

4- The fourth result is that they reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man. And that paints a picture of confusion, loss of direction, vision and focus, rather than being in charge, the enemy is now in charge. God will redirect the ship of your destiny in Jesus’ name.

5- The fifth result is that they are at their wits’ end. This is when you do not know what next to do and about to give up. But before you give up, God will show up for you in Jesus’ name. You won’t be the first to go through the stormy wind of life that turns contrary; many did in the bible from Genesis to Revelation. Even Jesus was confronted with both physical and spiritual storms. When he travelled with his disciples, storm rose against them. H e was looking at crucifixion ahead; it was a stormy moment of his life. He prayed and his sweat were like drops of blood. The storm was so overwhelming that he too began to reel to and fro like a drunken man, hence he said, Lord if it is possible, take away this cup from me. He knew his destiny was to be crucified but the storm was so overwhelming that at a point he was confused. He wasn’t sure whether that was the path he wanted to go anymore because he left his divinity in heaven and took up humanity so that he can feel what you are feeling, and so as to know that God was once in your shoes and be encouraged.

Paul was travelling and a storm arose. Act 27: 14-15, ”  14But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. 15The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.”

The language used there shows that it was a storm meant to terminate them. The sailor gave up and in effect they came to their wits’ end and said ‘If we are going to die, let us die’. Listen to me, the worse will not happen to you in that situation, God will intervene. Even as they gave up, God showed up. the God of Paul that showed up in that journey will also show up in your journey.

WHAT IS THE WAY OUT?

Psalm 107:28-30, “28Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

 

1- THEY CRIED OUT TO THE LORD IN THEIR TROUBLE. Don’t complaine; don’t look for someone to blame; don’t blame your parents for your trouble; don’t blame it on your ancestors; don’t murmur. What did they do in their troubles? They cried out to God. Psalm 34:6- The poor cried out to the Lord in his troubles, the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all those troubles. The nation of Israel cried out to the Lord in their troubles in Exodus 3:7, and the Lord showed up and delivered the nation of Israel. That God will show up and deliver our nations when we cry out onto Him. The barren woman cried out to the Lord in her distresses in 1Samuel 1:10. The Lord heard the barren woman, Hannah, opened her womb and she conceived and gave birth. In the name of Jesus Christ, anyone in this church experience one form of bareness, marital, physical, spiritual, career or business, when you cry to the Lord, he will hear and deliver you. She cry to her husband or to Peninnah that was humiliating her, she chose to cry to the Lord in her distress and the Lord heard her. The widow cried out to the Lord in her distress in 2Kings 4:1, and the Lord heard her and gave her strategies to get out of indebtedness and poverty and the storm became still. A blind man cried out in Mark 10:47-48, and the more they tried to stop him, the more he cried because he had no other person to cry to. I guess the reason you have not come so close to the Lord is because you still have other people you are crying to. It’s about time to come and cry to the Lord. The disciples cried to the Lord in their stormy sea in Mark 4:38 and God heard and delivered them.

WHAT DOES GOD DO IN DELIVERING FROM THE STORMY WIND OF LIFE?

Psalm 107:28-30, “28Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

 When they cried to Him in the storm of their lives:

1- He brought them out of their distresses.

I prophesy that you will not die in that distresses. He will take the dress of distress from your destiny. God will redress your distress and dress you with a new dress that will cause people to address you with a new name. God will give you a brand new name. Hannah, Elizabeth, Jabez, Esther, Joseph were brought out of distress and were addressed by a new name. God will bring you out and address you by a new name.

 

2- He calm the storm.

There will be calm. Someone came with a heavy storm, but there will be calm. Within seven days, you will testify that there is a calm.  The mounting bills will come down. the complainer against your work will expire; you will look for them but you won’t find them again.

3-The waves were stilled.

The waves that overwhelmed them were stilled. The waves overwhelming you will be still in Jesus’ name. Peace be stilled. You will wave the waves bye bye. Say with me: The wave of failure, poverty, barrenness, sickness, pain, sorrow, trouble, sleeplessness, and fear I wave you bye bye in the name of Jesus.

4-They were glad.

Because they now have peace, they became glad.  You will be glad again. you will sing the song of gladness again. I bring to you good news of glad tidings. In your marriage, finances, health, and concerning your children you will know gladness again.

5- He guide them to their desired haven.

He took them to destiny destination. He helped them to achieve their goals. The storm could only slow down their journey, but their journey could not be stopped. Tell yourself: I am unstoppable. The storm cannot stop me.

 

PRAYER POINTS:

1- Father I cry to you in my distress, deliver me today by your power and mercy.

2- Father you are the Prince of peace, command your peace upon every stormy wind against my life in Jesus’ name.

3- Father by your name Jehovah Rapha, paralyse every sickness and disease attacking me in the name of Jesus.