On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
Mark 4:35-41
When the Lord sends you on a journey you go feeling He is with you, and then comes the storms! And when these seasons of tumlt come, at first we stand and do so believing that soon we will arrive. But, when the storms continue we struggle to ‘keep the faith’, wondering where the Lord has gone, even wondering has He even fallen asleep. Perhaps you start questioning yourself. ‘Did I hear wrong?’ You begin to wonder if you had heard correctly, was this decision of faith misguided. And maybe, even questioning when have you heard from God. Crying out to God you plead for His help, as it would seem you could even perish.
And this was a real situation for the disciples who were in the boat with Jesus as the waves on the sea, and the stormy weather, threatened their lives. When looking at this story in Mark, and in the corresponding passage in Luke, we see that it was clear their lives were in danger. Jesus, that is God, seemed to be asleep in the boat. What could they do, other than cry out for help.
Sure enough, Jesus intervenes, He hears their desperate cries, and without immediately responding to their questions, He simply speaks to the storm, and stillness comes, and they travel on to the other side, but not before our Lord asks two challenging question, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
You can feel the prying query of Jesus, ‘Why were you fearful, if I had said let us go to the other side, and I am in the boat with you, why did you fear for your life?’ In away, saying, ‘have you not seen what I have done, or believed in what I say?’ For to be certain if God calls you to a place, job, person, state, nation, change of career, course of studies, etc. know He is with you, and the God of universe will be both your refuge, and get you to your destiny in Him. He watches over His word to perform it, and sojourns with you.
But, there are times in our journey for Him, that the storms of life threaten us even arriving at our God given destiny. These storms will be no surprise to Him, and in a way maybe used to test our maturity in Him. Christ will see if we allow His Spirit in us to reign in the circumstance, or do we seek to do it in our own strength. And when Satan or the world threatens to take your life or path away from God’s purpose, not only does Jesus call us to believe He will get to His destination for us, but He calls also can call us to speak, ‘Peace, be still’ to the storm, believing it will cease.
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20
For if He dwells in you, being a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, as you speak with His inspiration, the words you utter are not yours or unknown, and so carry His power over all creation.
There is a wisdom in knowing when to simply stand, believing God with you will see you to the other side, and times when He asks that you not only believe in the safe refuge and delivering hand of God, but also in the power of God in you to speak stillness to the storm in the authority of Christ. You will know what to do, for the storms will make its present danger real, and the Spirit will lead you. And yet, even if we miss the moment, God in His grace can still intervene.
Know, that even when you are in God’s will, and travelling the path He sets before you, danger can come, storms will threaten your life. But, He encourages us to believe He will get you to His destination for you, and to believe that you can speak stillness to the storms, and if these words are His as they are inspired by His Spirit, the they will cease. Keep travelling with Him, and remember, the power of His word spoken.
“Peace, be still”.
Kingdom Blog 