And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39
When was the last time there was a storm in your life? Maybe you are in the midst of one right now.
I used to be the type of person who proclaimed my trials from the roof tops. I was like Eeyore, “woe is me”, lol. And, when real storms arose, I was blown and tossed and shipwrecked.
Then Jesus came into my life. And, with Him by my side and the knowledge that he wants good things for me, I was able to face my trials head on and with a lot less fear and dread.
There are a few things we should remember when those storms come….in Jeremiah 29:11 God says “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans go give you hope and a future”. Our God has plans for us, plans that will prosper us. Remember that His desire is not to harm us, but to comfort and guide us.
Now, does that mean that we will have lives of luxury and ease? Of course not!
In John 16 – Jesus is coming close to the time of the cross and He tells His disciples that a time is coming when they will abandon Him and He will be left alone. Then He says, “But I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world”.
We will face trials, we feel as though we have been left alone, we will have heart ache and struggles, but take heart….remember that our Lord has overcome this world and just as our Heavenly Father never left Jesus alone, if we trust Christ as our Lord and Savior, He won’t leave us either. Therefore, we may suffer for a little while in this life (which is fleeting) but because of the supernatural peace that Christ offers us, the presence of our Heavenly Father in our lives and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we can face tomorrow with FAITH!
Remember that not only does our Heavenly Father offer us peace and comfort in the storms of this life, but, through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus, He also offers us peace and joy, in the presence of our Savior, for eternity. No more tears, no more trials, no more heartache, no more pain!
The initial verse that appears in our post today appears in all 4 of the Gospels. It speaks to a day when Jesus spoke to the multitudes, telling them parables and at the end of the day Jesus tells the disciples that they should “go across to the other side”. So He and the disciples left the crowd behind and got in the boat to cross over the water. As they crossed a great windstorm arose and the waves came in to the boat and it was filling up. But Jesus was sound asleep. The disciples woke Jesus and said to Him “Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?” And Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. Jesus then said to the disciples “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
That is a beautiful picture of what He wants to do for you in your storm(s) and what He has done for me in mine. He wants to calm the winds and the waves. But just like the disciples we have to stop doubting and have faith. Remember that we have to trust Him, no matter how much water comes in our boat. And we have to remember that sometimes our greatest trials become our greatest testimonies. I have ministered to, evangelized and given testimony to more people in my life, about the trials and storms that I’ve endured and how God rescued me from them (and can them) than in any other way.
So whether you are facing a storm today or there is one on the horizon, remember we serve a Risen Savior who, with the sound of His voice, can calm the wind and waves of your storm. Pray, trust, have faith and lean on Him.
If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, I pray that you will go to our Life Preserver page and pray the prayer outlined there.
Praying that you are able to rest in the comfort and peace of the Lord today and that if you have had storms in your life that God has gotten you through, that perhaps you begin to give Him the glory for calming those wind and waves.
Luv ya!
