Mark 4:37-41
A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!”
Recently my wife made a trip to Honduras to visit her family. Her mother who is nearing eighty seven years of age, lives in the mountains south of the capital city, Tegucigalpa. To find her house, one must have to drive up the winding narrow dirt roads to get there. One evening, on the way to visit her mom, she ended up driving through one of the worst storms she had ever seen in a very long time. To make matters worse, the car was having mechanical issues and stalled in the middle of the road. There she found herself stuck in a car with her two kids and niece, in the dark while the rain poured even harder and the waters kept rising. For a moment all looked lost, she started panicking, her life flashed before her eyes, she really thought that the end was very near. But something inside her told her to pray. She lifted her fears up to God and left everything in his hands and just at that moment, she noticed up ahead, coming out of the darkness, a pair of headlights shining brightly from another vehicle passing through. It turned out to be one of her family members, who was heading back home from her mother’s house. Thankfully, they were able to quickly get to safety. God came through for her that night and delivered her and her family from the deadly storm.
We may not find ourselves stuck in a literal storm but as travelers in this journey called life, from time to time, we are bound to face situations, difficulties and circumstances which could very well make us feel like we are stuck in a storm. Sometimes these storms produce waves that can be so overwhelming, we start to fear and wonder if we will ever make it out alive. Storms, trials, whatever you want to call it we all face them. There are times when God calms the storms, and there are times when He doesn’t and sometimes it just seems like He doesn’t care. I love this passage in scripture where the disciples, were frightened, in the midst of a storm. It must have been a really bad one for it even made some of the disciples who were experienced fishermen worry and fear for their very lives. But where was Jesus in the midst of the crazy storm? He was sleeping on a cushion. You see the disciples were at peace while the waves were calm, there was no fear because they willingly went along with Jesus into the boat to get to the other side. However, it wasn’t until the waves got rough, that their inner peace turned to fear. But isn’t that just like us though? When circumstances are going great, everything is smooth sailing, we are at peace but when chaos ensues and all hell breaks loose, there goes our faith, there goes our peace and we too just like the disciples end up questioning, if God really cares. The disciples failed to see that the very person who could control the wind and waves was with them in their boat. Often times we too when facing our storms, drown in our fears because we forget that the God of the universe is always here with us, living inside us. Recently, I have been going through my own personal storms, which has rocked my boat of certainty and there have been times, when I felt like all is hopeless. But when I started to turn my attention to God and off the waves, that’s when I began to see things from His perspective. In fact my situation still hasn’t changed, instead it’s actually gotten worse. Instead of trying to question God, losing my composure, “don’t you care God?”, I simply have learned to just be still, grab a cushion and nap along next to my Savior. My cushion is a double sided firm mattress made firmly out of prayer and God’s word. The scripture says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and petition, present your requests to God with thanksgiving, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:6-7. When we choose to not be worried, but to give it up to God in prayer with thankfulness, God promises us peace. When we pray in thankfulness, we are thanking God not that we have what we want in advance but we are thanking Him that no matter the outcome, His answer is best and will be good for me. God doesn’t guarantee that our prayers will be answered the way we want it to but what He does promise to give us, is His peace, a peace described as one that surpasses all understanding. It’s a peace that comes over you that others will be scratching their heads wondering why are you not stressed or frightened when the circumstances tell you that you have every right to be. It’s a peace that says no matter if I get my way or not God I trust you, you are my joy and you are my peace. Memorizing scripture, has also really been the life preserver for me. The more I began to hide God’s word in my heart, the more I began to dwell on positive truths for my life. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if anything is excellent, or if anything is praiseworthy, think of these things.” The Bible tells us that when we do think of these things, the “God of peace will be with us.” Philippians 4:8-9.
Life is never easy and God never promises us a smooth sail but He does promise to set sail with us. The next time we find ourselves in a stormy situation, don’t waste your energy trying to save yourself. Instead be like Jesus, find a cushion and just sleep in the arms of God, resting in Him, knowing that Father God who created the wind and waves, has got this.