Speak to the Problem and Talk Smack to the Devil

     In Matthew 8:26, Jesus said two separate things. To set the stage, Jesus and the disciples were in a boat and going across the Sea of Galilee. While Jesus slept a storm came up. The four men that were fishermen by trade gave their authoritative statement about their immediate conditions. They woke Jesus up and rebuked Him for sleeping while they were drowning. Well, that's what it looked like to the fishermen, anyway.

     If somebody wakes you up out of a good sound sleep, you would do just what Jesus did. He rebuked the rebuker. He asked them "Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith?" Then He turned to the winds and the sea and rebuked them and there was a great calm.

     First things first. Jesus spoke to the ones that were casting doubt on the integrity of the Word of God. On the other side of the lake, He plainly told them to get in the boat and go to the other side. He did NOT say let's get in the boat so we can all die together. Peter and the disciples were clearly trying to convince Jesus of something that He, the Word made flesh, had not ordained. Jesus' words ordered their safe passage whether a storm was going to come up or not.

     The next thing is that Jesus spoke to the problem, the winds and the sea. We shouldn't find that surprising. In Matthew 21, Jesus spoke to a fig tree and it dried up over night. The disciples were astonished and He said that they could SPEAK to a mountain and it would obey them. Jesus said that it only took a little bit of faith to do that.

     Oh, really? Some times that's about all I've got. But you know what? Jesus said that He would honor my little faith. He will honor anyone's little faith. The problem is, we are so convinced that the circumstances that we face are immovable objects that we cower in fear of disaster just like the disciples did.

     Paul said this in Romans 8. In verse 18 he was talking about sufferings. In verse 28, he talks about God working things together for our good. Then in verse 31 he says, "What shall we then say to these things?" Paul was on to something. He immediately states equivocally that if God was for us then nobody could be against us.

     Well, what do we say? We say whatever the Word of God says about our situation. This is where you'll have to do your homework because I don't have enough room to list all of the promises of God. But if the need is financial, say "My needs are met according to His riches in glory". If it's sickness, say to the sickness, "By His stripes I am healed". If it's unsaved children, say, "The fruit of my body is blessed". 

     God will never, never, never go back on His word. Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God's Word will not return void but it would accomplish what He said it would. When He said His Word would not return, that must mean that somebody sent it out. That's me and you. God made the promise and I'm going to agree that His Word is true no matter what it looks like.

     When God said, "Let there be light" there was nothing around to make the sun and stars out of. But, by golly, it appeared out of nowhere pretty quick. We can always put our faith in the Word of God. It's going to happen like He said.

     Speak the Word of God to whatever problem you are facing now. God said His Word would not return empty. Sometimes He might have to organize a few things before He gets it to you. 

     Sometimes it might seem like it will NEVER come. That's where the devil comes in. He'll be the first one to tell you that you're going to die without the Word of God coming to pass. He will tell you and show you every excuse in the world why God CAN'T do what He promised.

     This is why I titled this blog---Speak to the Problem and Talk Smack to the Devil. He cannot keep God's promises from you forever and God will NEVER let His Word return void. So open your head, your heart and your mouth and start your problems on their way to being solved.