Today I would like to share the grace of God under the title, "Faith That Controls Hardships."
The disciples of Jesus faced a great storm while crossing the sea by boat. Nonetheless, Jesus was sleeping in the stern of the little boat which was being wholly swayed by a ferocious storm. His disciples might have thought that they would drown sooner or later. They hurriedly woke up Jesus who was sleeping. "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
Then Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" and the high waves and the winds were immediately calm.
What an amazing and terrific thing it was! As His disciples were amazed and terrified and looked at Jesus, He said to His disciples, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"
He rebuked those whose faith was so little. In our lives, more often than not, we have to face the waves of life. At that time we'd better wake up sleeping Jesus rather than try to solve problems on our own; it will lead us into deeper troubles.

The devil's old strategy to drown Jesus and His disciples failed.

Matthew 8:23-24 says, "Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping."

It wasn't low waves at that time. If the Bible says the waves were high, it¡¯s not like the calm waves at the Han River, but rather a mountain of waves hit the boat. Nevertheless, a tiny boat was crossing the lake with Jesus' disciples in it. Immediately they couldn't help but drown in the lake. But Jesus was sleeping while high waves and the winds struck the boat ceaselessly. Any human couldn't endure this kind of situation, but Jesus didn't care at all and was sleeping without any disturbance. Therefore, if we rely on Jesus Christ our Lord, there is nothing we cannot do.
" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

This guarantee God gives is so wonderful! Jesus who slept peacefully in the midst of great storm tells us that we must have an absolute faith. It is not just a mere faith but an absolute faith, in which we trust God and commit all our problems and troubles to Him. With an absolute trust we commit all our troubles to the Lord. Jesus rebuked the little faith of His disciples, saying, "You of little faith." Even with a little faith like a mustard seed we can move a mountain; His disciples were rebuked because of lesser faith than a mustard seed like faith! Through this Jesus tells us that fear is not a problem of weak heart but a problem of unbelief!

Proverbs 16:9 says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

No matter how we plan our course, God will fulfill it. Even if we plan our ways wholeheartedly without God, it can't be accomplished without Him! If God doesn't help us build a house, the builder will work in vain. In any circumstances we must trust in God and commit our plan to Him; this is absolute faith. Trust absolutely and commit wholly to Him.

When we face a crisis of life, we shouldn't be in despair but pray.


Psalm 62:8 says, "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah"


God is our refuge in a crisis.


Psalm 34:18-19 says, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all."

We usually think the Word of God just as a passing wind, not believing it faithfully. Now in this getting harder world, we should have an attitude that relies on Jesus and loves Him absolutely.
How can we commit to God? As Jesus' disciples woke up Jesus to save them in the midst of a great stormy sea, we must wake Him up. We should wake up sleeping Jesus. We wake up Jesus through prayer. We need Jesus' miracles. We should let Jesus' miracles occur. Jesus should open the way for us.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."


The Lord provides a way out for us not to be in despair. Therefore, the best way to control suffering is to trust in God and pray to Him. The most terrifying one the devil fears is those who pray!

Next, we must think positively.


Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

It is the will of the Holy Spirit that makes us peaceful and hopeful.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."


This says that by praying we will be blessed wonderfully. Nowadays so many people are living in fear. Young ones fear
failure in examinations and hurts from friends. Even the old ones also tremble in fear; the older we are, the greater our fear will be. We fear whether some trouble may come to our life, things work well, or our health fails. We are afraid of our children's future, the coming of diseases, and our insecure later years. Fear oppresses our hearts as we worry about whether some bad things might happen to our family or they may have an unexpected accident. To overcome fear, we must focus on Jesus, rather than on high waves. As waves and the wind hit the boat, Jesus was sleeping in that tiny boat. Jesus was invisible, but only waves and the wind were visible. To live a presiding life, we put aside what can be done later and must look up to Jesus.
Jesus was on the cross of Calvary so we should look up to Him, not to see the Calvary mountain. But let alone unbelievers, even we Christians focus on troubles rather than on Jesus whenever troubles come to us. We don't look up to Jesus and give thanks to Him, but focus on troubles only and lament and step back.


Psalm 34:4 says, " I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

Acts 2:17 says, " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams."


1 John 5:4 says, "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."

Our faith and prayer are united for us to overcome the world.


Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Faith and prayer are the necessity of our life.


"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."(Psalm 19:14)

We must speak while living in this world. Our spoken words belong to the spirituality of the fourth dimension. They are also invisible. Our thoughts, dreams, faith, and words are unseen.
Then the power of our spoken words are so mighty. Why?
It is because God created the whole world with His Word. Now you are the servants of God and with Him and born again by the Holy Spirit to become the temple of the Holy Spirit so our spoken words come to pass creatively. The creative power of God lies in His Word. We are blessed through His Word. God always gave His Word first when He blessed Abraham.

"Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever."

He gave His blessing through His Word. At that time God didn't give blessings actually, but through His word; as time goes by, His Word will come true. You already have this wonderful grace of God's covenant in your heart.

Psalm 19:14 says, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

May our spoken words and the meditation of our hearts be fulfilled! They will come true. If you want to give blessings to your neighbors, say creative words to them. Your words will help your neighbors. "Wow, everything will work well for you! As God is with you, you will prosper." Your words like these will enter as blessings. In order for us to bless our children, we must confess what we want them to be. If you say positive words to your neighbors, as God said, "Let there be light," and there was light,
God's grace will come upon them.

Proverbs 16:24 says, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much."(Proverbs 20:19)

Even disaster comes through words. Blessings or disasters come through our spoken words. The Bible says that we should not take those talkative people as friends. He warns us to be careful in our words.

Luke 6:45 says, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."


Psalm 50:23 says, "He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."


God's the most favorite in the world is thank offerings. God loves the word, "Thanks!" so much! Thanksgiving is the greatest language to glorify God. Please repeat after me, "Thank God! Thank God! Thank God!" He is pleased with this and delight over it. So we must not be stingy in giving thanks to God.



Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Apostle Paul worked the most and gave thanks the most in the New Testament. You should give thanks to God throughout your life. Memorable blessings will come to us following thanksgiving.


2 Corinthians 1:9 says, "Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."


This shows that Paul realized that God was with him through hardships. We can clearly know the day through the existence of night. Without night we can't discern the day. Only after we get sick can we realize that health is so good. Therefore, if you get sick, don't be dismayed. Where there is sickness, there is health. Where there is heaven, there is hell. Some ask why sufferings come to believers. It is because we can experience the power of Jesus in hardships. When we face the storms of life, God is not far away from us.


Isaiah 55:6 says, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near."

When we suffer from hardships there is God who lends a hand to hold us up. We aren't lonely. It is because God is with us.