Have you experienced a perfect storm yet—a dynamic, fast-moving, confluence of elements that threatened to capsize your life?

If you have, you know how deadly it can be, and if you haven’t, you need to be prepared.

The Perfect Storm can arise on each of our horizons, and if we’re caught unprepared it can be devastating.

It happened to Jesus and His disciples once when they were attempting to cross the Sea of Galilee. Mark 4:37 says that, “A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” This particular storm was so fierce that Jesus’ followers—many of whom were career fishermen, well accustomed to stormy seas—despaired of their lives. It wasn’t until Jesus Himself arose and rebuked the wind and the waves that their sense of hope and serenity was restored.

Perfect Storms come up suddenly. They arise when the right combination of elements align to form a deadly brew. They start building on the horizon when we’re lonely, tired, or drifting in our faith. They scream at us, threatening to wreck us and pull us down to the depths.

However, they can also be survived. They can be sailed through, and the mariners who navigate them find clear waters, sunny skies, and friendly winds on the other side.

Here’s how the disciples survived their storm (and it’s how we can survive ours too):

1. They had a mission…Jesus had told them to sail to the other side.
2. They had Jesus…although He seemed absent in His slumber, He hadn’t left their boat.
3. They had each other…they weren’t paddling one-man kayaks; they were sailing as a team.
4. They didn’t jump ship…they stayed on course until God’s power subdued the elements.

If you hold steady, His power will do the same for you. Keep sailing!