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A storm is dark. In a storm our environment becomes the enemy. One minute you are sailing smooth, everything is going okay and the next minute you are afraid and wondering if your next breath will be your last. The story of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41) can almost seem unrealistic. He is asleep in a boat and awakens to find some of His best friends screaming in terror as if they don’t know Him.

Are you ever so overcome with emotion that you forget God? Jesus is wondering why His friends act as though they don’t believe in Him. He has performed many miracles before their eyes, yet a storm has made them forget who was in charge.

Who is in charge? Jesus tells the wind and rain to be quiet and the storm fades as quickly as it came. We too find ourselves in difficult situations. God has taken care of us up to now, so we should not be worried.

Are we going to take the helm of ship? It would have been foolish for Jesus’ friends to try to handle the situation themselves. Imagine them telling the ocean to be quiet. As silly as that sounds, we often take matters into our own hands without consulting Jesus. The disciples weren’t guilty of that, however, they were guilty of fear.

Should we be afraid when Jesus is in the boat? A storm or a difficult situation is God’s opportunity to prove Himself and to demonstrate again His love and His power. The only way to survive a storm is to remember that God is in charge and we must put our trust in Him. Even when God decides that a storm is necessary, He can still give you peace until the storm fades away.

Dear God,

Help me to trust you to calm the storms in my life. If the storm is necessary, then please just give me peace as I walk through my difficult times. Thank you for being in charge.

Amen

WHAT IF GOD CALMED THE STORM IN YOUR LIFE?

Even storms are no match for God:

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7

God continues to care for us no matter the cir- cumstances:
For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall. Isaiah 25:4

The storm is a great example of unforeseen trouble in our lives. Just as He quieted the storms of the Bible, He is available to quiet the storms in our lives:

He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:29

BE BLESSED!!

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