Storms in Life

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. Mark 4:35-41

How many times have you been involved in an unpleasant situation that brought you stress and heartache?

Life seems to be moving along smoothly; then something happens. Like your car breaks down, which means you now have to catch the bus to work (or catch a cab) until you receive another paycheck … just to pay the repair bill of the car. Or your health comes under attack, and you suddenly don’t feel well. The doctor diagnoses the flu, pneumonia, high blood pressure, diabetes, or even cancer. A person you considered a friend betrays you.

These are just examples of events that bring stress and strain into the life of all people. When I was a young boy, I’d hear the older folks make statements like; “This storm will pass.” They weren’t referencing the weather, but were talking about a present event in their lives that was bringing emotional and physical stress and worry to them. We called those events “storms in life.”

Just like bad weather, these storms in life will always be around. There’s nothing we can do to prevent them from coming. However, there is something we can do to make our journey through those storms a peaceful, less stressful, less sorrowful, less painful journey.

In the above Scripture, we notice that Jesus was with the disciples before the storm, during the storm, and after the storm. In fact, Jesus took time for a nap while the disciples continued their task of taking the boat over to the other side of the lake. During their journey, the wind changed, bringing in cool air from the nearby hills to mix with the warm air over the lake.

This mixture of warm and cool air caused the fast birth of a bad storm, much like here in Oklahoma. In Oklahoma, the skies will be clear one moment, and storming ten minutes later. I noticed that about Tulsa when I first moved here from Richmond, Virginia. When I was in seminary in Tulsa (along with other students from out-of-state, like myself), we (the new students) were informed that “if you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, just stand still for ten minutes, it will change.” Several times I had to take my family to a tornado shelter when one of those storms would just “pop up.”

During Jesus time, there was no television or radio to give warning of changing weather. Therefore Jesus and the disciples were caught without warning -- taken totally by surprise. In their fear (because of the storm they saw approaching), the disciples didn’t forget that Jesus was in the boat with them; they simply reacted because of their fear. When they asked Jesus, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?,” they were really saying: Don’t just lay there; do something. We’re about to die!! They knew the power of God through Jesus Christ by spending time with Him everyday. Imagine how they felt. All they could see was the dark rough water under them and a powerful storm above them. And while being tossed by the rising waves breaking into the boat, the water was filling up that 20-foot boat pretty quick.

Although Jesus was always with the disciples, they still felt fear, which gave them the feeling of being alone. They felt alone because Jesus remained silent doing the storm. Isn’t that how we feel today when our prayers seem to go unanswered? Sure. Death because of an evil storm seemed near. That’s the way it is with us and the storms you and I face in our lives everyday.

Notice, however, once the disciples called on Jesus, He (Jesus) commanded the wind and the sea to be quiet and to be still. Once He gave that command, there came a great calm, replacing the great storm.

That’s the same way we should handle the storms that enter our personal lives today. Once we’re aware that a storm is fast approaching, or even if the storm is already upon us, we’re to call on Jesus to rebuke (command) that storm to stop. He’ll respond to our prayer just like He did for the disciples. And that great storm in your life will be replaced by a great calm.

To experience fear isn’t sinful. However, it’s important what we do once we feel that fear. Once we feel fear, we’re to call on Jesus.

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