“This is a time of bringing down and building up”. The Lord had stirred me with those words, and I had been digging into that statement when I was caught by an image. Strong’s Concordance teaches that “in the Greco-Roman world, the concept of bringing something down could be associated with both physical actions, such as lowering a sail or casting down an enemy, and metaphorical actions, such as overcoming an argument or defeating a rival”. Instantly I saw an image of a sail, full and whipping in a stormy wind. The vessel it was tied to was helplessly being powered along with the storm. Then the sail was folded and taken down and though the storm still raged, the power of the storm to move the vessel was greatly diminished.
I began to read about sailing in storms in the natural because God often shows us parables all around us in His created world. In sailing, when it appears a storm is beginning, the first thing to do is “reef” your sails. This is a term used to describe the process of folding or rolling up a sail so that its surface area is greatly reduced, the sail is preserved, and the influence of the wind power of the storm on the boat is minimized. This protects against unexpected gusts or changes in wind that will capsize the boat.
The enemy’s attacks often feel like storms. They are loud, disorienting, and full of threats to steal, kill, and destroy. We’re so busy trying to look at the storm that we sometimes forget to look at the vessel- us! Are we still full sail? Are we being blown by everything the enemy is bringing against us? To “reef” is to regulate the size or length of something. When we “reef our sails” spiritually, we’re regulating the size and length of influence the enemy has on our response. The storm may still be going on around us, but we are less moved by it. We can take what the enemy hoped would overturn (capsize) us and overcome.
As our focus becomes less on the storm, we make an important shift: we are moved by the whisper, not the wind. I am reminded of Elijah, who we find in 1 Kings chapter 19 hiding in a cave. Outside we have all sorts of threatening clamor going on.
“The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”
Elijah, who knew the Lord’s voice, knew not to be moved by the powerful wind. He waited. What moved him was the “gentle whisper”. This word for whisper- qowl- can mean sound or voice and is the same word found in Genesis 3:8 “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” This sounds of the Lord in the garden came after a different metaphorical storm of the enemy in which he baited humanity into the fall. In this instance, they were moved by the storm instead of the sound (or whisper) of the Lord.
Peter faced a similar scene. He and the disciples were amidst a storm that was no doubt loud and chaotic. Matthew 14:24 says the wind was causing waves that buffeted against them. But amidst the wind, there was a sound. As Jesus walked by He said, "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (verse 27). Peter, when stepping out of the boat had the choice to be moved by the wind of the storm or to be moved by the beckoning “Come” of Jesus.
It's never easy to go out into a storm. The truth that is powerfully illustrated in this story is that in the middle of the storm, it is safer to go out deeper with the Lord than to run for the shallows. In my research about sailing, I ran across an interesting tip from North Sails. “While running for cover would seem the preferred choice, the danger lies in being caught in the storm, close to shore, with no room to maneuver or run off".
The enemy would love us to abort our mission. To throw in the towel. To go running for land because the waters got too stormy. The truth is, we have more (not less!) chance of being shipwrecked on the shores of mediocre faith. We are safest in the deep. When we stop being blown in response to the blustering chaos of the enemy, we can move in response to the much gentler whisper of the Lord.
Don’t let the storms of this season send you to seek shallow waters. Stay the course. Wait for the whisper.
Encounter questions:
Lord, what “blustering” lies of the enemy am I letting fill my sails and move me?
Holy Spirit, what truth do you want to speak to these lies?
Lord, could you show me how I am being tempted into shallow waters?
Jesus, what does it look like to go deep with you?
What whisper are you speaking to me through the storm?
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