MARK 4:35-41 – “On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 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. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?””

THEME OF THE DAY: REMEMBER WHO IS IN THE STORM.  I am sure there have been and will be many sermons preached from today’s scripture; many lessons written, many books including it in their contents about fear, and many times of sharing it with anxious and afraid followers of Jesus. Add this to that list, however, not many lessons are going to be identified in today’s nugget. Just one. It is the theme of the day – remember who is in the storm.

Jesus invites His disciples to go to sea with Him. As they set out to cross this body of water, a great windstorm rose, not a light breeze, but a gale force storm so great the waves were crashing against and into their tiny boat threatening to sink them.  The disciples had every right to be afraid and not because of the storm, but for the very reason they forgot Who was in the storm with them.  It was Jesus. It was the Creator of the storm. It was the Controller of the storm. It was the One who called them to follow Him and change the world. It was the One who had power over all things including the storm.  But they forgot.  How do we know? Fear. Paralyzing fear.

Let’s bring this closer to home.  We go through “storms” in life too.  Emotional storms, spiritual storms, physical storms, relational storms, and circumstantial storms.  And we, like the disciples in the fierce literal storm, are tempted, intensely tempted, to be afraid. But two things we must remember that they forgot if we don’t want to be gripped by this unhealthy fear.

First, remember Who is in the storms with us.  The same Jesus, Who was with them, is with us. Go back and read how this little sea voyage began. It was initiated by Jesus.  He told His disciples, “Let us go across to the other side” and Jesus knew it wasn’t going to be calm seas.  He would bring the storm because the disciples needed the storm to get them not to look at their difficult circumstances in life but to remember Who was with them in their circumstances.  And so must we.

The second truth to remember is the One in the storm with us is the Creator of the storm, and the Controller of the storm.  He spoke “Peace, be still” to calm the fears of His disciples, and He will do the same in our storms.  Trust Him.  He is faithful.

Life is stormy. It is supposed to be. May the Lord help us to remember we are never alone in our storms, and the One with us is in control of the storm to include its duration.  And He will speak, “Peace, be still” when we learn the lessons He has for us in life’s storms.

PRAYER: Father, forgive me when I take my eyes off Your Son and place them on my circumstances.

REFLECTION:  Don’t look at your circumstances in life but on Christ who is with you in your circumstances.