IN THE STORM
READ:
Mark 4:35-41
[Jesus] said to the sea,
“Peace, be still!”
–Mark 4:39
A storm was brewing-not just
on the horizon but also in a friend’s home.
“When I was in Hong Kong,” she shared, “the local meteorological service announced that there was a superstorm approaching. But more than the storm that was looming outside my window, there was a storm brewing at home. While my dad was in the hospital, family members were trying to balance their home and work responsibilities while also traveling to and from the hospital. They were so tired that patience was wearing thin, and the situation at home was tense.”
“When I was in Hong Kong,” she shared, “the local meteorological service announced that there was a superstorm approaching. But more than the storm that was looming outside my window, there was a storm brewing at home. While my dad was in the hospital, family members were trying to balance their home and work responsibilities while also traveling to and from the hospital. They were so tired that patience was wearing thin, and the situation at home was tense.”
Life can feel like a
storm-tossing us around with winds of misfortune, grief, or stress. Where can we turn? When Jesus’ disciples were caught in a great
windstorm and wondered if He cared, they still knew where to turn. He demonstrated His power by calming the
howling storm (Mark 4:38-39).
But often He does not calm the
storm immediately. And, like the
disciples, we may feel that He doesn’t care.
To calm our fears, we can cling to faith in who God is and what He can
do. We can take shelter in Him (Psalm
91:1). We can find His help to
relate to others with grace. We can rest
in an all-powerful, all-wise, and all-loving God. He is with us in the storm and cradles us
through the storm. –Poh Fang Chia
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,
Or demons or men, or whatever it be
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of the ocean, and earth, and skies. –Baler
One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us
Than we think.
INSIGHT
Today’s passage from Mark recounts an incredible display of Jesus’
power. As the Lord of creation
(Colossians 1:15-17), Christ had the right and the authority to instruct the
wind and the waves and have them obey Him.
Yet this miracle caused the disciples to fear greatly, which prompted
Jesus’ statement in verse 40. The
disciples feared the storm more than they trusted the one who was with them in
the boat. Jesus tells them (and us) to
trust what we have seen in Him to get us through both the literal and
metaphorical storms of life.
Have a blessed night.
God Our Creator’s Love Always.
Unity & Peace
Unity & Peace
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