Opposition Doesn't Mean You Missed God

You tried to follow God's direction, but the situation became harder. Now you are wondering whether the resistance means you made the wrong choice. Andrew Wommack teaches from Matthew 14 that trouble by itself cannot tell you whether you missed God.

Jesus sent His disciples across the Sea of Galilee even though they could see a storm coming. What they faced on the water did not cancel the word He had given them. Scripture also shows Moses, Elijah, and Paul meeting opposition while carrying out what God had called them to do.

The Disciples Faced a Storm After Jesus Sent Them

In Matthew 14, Jesus constrained the disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side. They had to be compelled because they could tell a storm was coming. In natural terms, going out on the lake as a storm came down over Mount Hermon was not wise. They obeyed because they were committed to Jesus.

Jesus gave them a promise along with the direction: go to the other side. He did not tell them to go halfway and drown. The trip usually took two or three hours, but the wind was so strong that nine to twelve hours later they were only halfway across. They were still going the way Jesus had sent them.

All they needed to do to escape the immediate danger was turn around, raise the sail, and let the wind take them back to the shore they had left. Instead, they kept moving toward the other side. Jesus was aware of their situation. Since He had sent them into the storm, they could know He would not forsake them there.

That gives you something steady to hold when circumstances become difficult. The disciples did not judge Jesus' word by how easy the crossing felt. They had a clear direction, and the contrary wind did not change it.

Obedience Can Meet Resistance

Moses returned to Egypt after his encounter with God, carrying God's command for Pharaoh to release Israel. Conditions initially became worse. Pharaoh increased the Israelites' workload and stopped providing straw for their bricks. The people Moses came to help turned against him. He was obeying God, yet the first result was not an easier road.

Elijah experienced dramatic miracles. God sustained him through three and a half years without rain, multiplied a widow's food, raised a person from the dead, and answered by fire from heaven. Yet in the next chapter, Jezebel threatened him, and Elijah ran for his life. He faced adversity even after seeing God's power at work, and he ultimately finished well.

Paul also knew that an open door could come with opposition. In 1 Corinthians 16:9 (NKJV), he wrote, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” In Acts 16, Paul received a vision directing him to Macedonia. Within days of arriving, he had been beaten and locked in the deepest part of a prison.

An open door and adversaries existed at the same time. Resistance did not erase Paul's direction. These examples help us stop using ease as the measure of God's will. He speaks through His Word and by His Spirit, and we need to keep doing what He tells us when opposition comes.

Keep Going in the Direction God Gave You

Following God can mean moving beyond what feels comfortable. Andrew shares that in 1973 the Lord told him to give his teaching materials away. Since then, the ministry has given away well over 100 million books, CDs, cassettes, and other products, not including digital downloads. There were financial storms when it would have been easy to stop giving them away, but Andrew had determined that this calling was non-negotiable.

During a recent financial downturn, a ministry they supported offered to let Andrew reduce or stop their monthly gift. He responded that giving would be the last thing he cut. Rather than decreasing the giving, he sent a booklet as a gift to tens of thousands of ministry partners. When he got into a bind, he did not turn around toward the shore he had left. He kept going in the direction God had given him.

That is perseverance: continuing with what God has made clear, even when the wind is against you. If you want to see God's miraculous power, you have to start and persevere. Andrew says he has not done this perfectly and has faced opposition from outside and from his own thoughts and fears. Still, he decided not to go back on what God had told him. Many of the physical, personal, and financial miracles he has seen came because he did not quit.

Hebrews 10:36 (NKJV) says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Endurance keeps you from taking the first exit as soon as trouble comes. It keeps your attention on what God said instead of letting pressure make the decision for you.

Let the Word Build Your Faith

The disciples were frightened when they saw Jesus walking toward them. They wanted God to intervene, yet when help came, they did not recognize Him. Their reaction shows that seeing something remarkable does not automatically produce trust.

In Luke 16, the rich man asked for Lazarus to be sent back to warn his brothers. Abraham answered that they had Moses and the prophets. The rich man insisted that they would repent if someone rose from the dead, but Abraham said that those who would not hear Moses and the prophets would not be persuaded even by a resurrection.

Some people saw Lazarus raised after four days in the grave, yet some went to the religious leaders, who plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. The same miracle that strengthened some people hardened the opposition of others. Miracles do not create faith in every heart. Faith comes through hearing God's Word.

Romans 10:17 (NKJV) says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” When you do not know what circumstances mean, return to what God has said. His Word gives you a foundation more dependable than interpreting every setback or success as a message about your direction.

Be of Good Cheer Before Anything Changes

Jesus came to the disciples in the fourth watch and said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27, NKJV). He had not yet stopped the wind. John's account says that once Jesus entered the boat, the boat and everyone in it immediately arrived at the other side. Jesus called them to courage before their surroundings changed.

Mark's account says Jesus “would have passed them by” (Mark 6:48, NKJV). He was not taking a casual walk; He came because His disciples were in danger. He made Himself available, and they had to call out and draw on His power. God is with us and never leaves or forsakes us, and He also calls us to ask, believe, and reach out.

The disciples had not yet reached Peter's walk on the water. They obeyed when the direction went against natural wisdom, kept moving when the wind opposed them, and called out when Jesus revealed Himself. If they had gone back to the first shore, they would not have experienced what came next.

The wind can remain contrary while you keep moving toward the other side.

This post draws from How to Become a Water Walker, Episode 4 by Andrew Wommack. Watch the full teaching on YouTube.