Scripture: Mark 4:39-41 (ESV) —”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?”
It may be that the reason you lack peace is because you are lamenting the presence of your storm instead of embracing the “rest” that is available in it.
As opposite as that may seem to anyone with an emotional pulse, at some point we all learn that difficulties present an incredible canvas for contrast. What greater contrast could you possibly have in the midst of a storm than to receive supernatural rest?
As promised yesterday, today we are going to look at a harrowing story from Mark 4, when Jesus and the disciples find themselves on a boat staring death in the face.
It’s easy to read about events like this and not appreciate the trauma involved. This was a storm in which Scripture says the boat was taking on water and they were perishing. You aren’t reading a simple Bible story that makes for a good illustration. What they were contending with would be one of your worst nightmares.
Then again, some of you have lived through some nightmarish storms. Perhaps you are in the middle of one now, desperate for any help that will save you from being destroyed by it.
God isn’t panicked by things that threaten you. The Scriptures show us that while everyone was filled with fear from the strong waves, Jesus was actually sleeping in the stern of the boat.
As He was sleeping, the others on the boat couldn’t understand His posture. How could anyone sleep at a time like that?
One of the things we learn from this story about human nature is that sometimes our faith isn’t rooted in who God is, but rather in our expectations that He mirror our response to life’s storms.
If that is your posture toward God, then you aren’t interested in serving Him as much as you are interested in Him serving you.
It’s natural that your difficulties might tempt you to look for pity. In fact, when storms come, we often only want to hang around those who will show empathy by nurturing our panic and fear.
You may even find yourself being hostile with anyone that dares speak words of faith instead of words of fear. That is when we can find ourselves heading into a realm of our faith walk that is pretty dark.
We shop our fellowship around to anyone willing to mirror our emotions in exchange for our friendship.
It’s one thing to acknowledge a person’s vulnerabilities that their struggles expose. It’s another thing to join their search for peace by questioning God’s ways over our ways.
The struggle in our flesh is the belief that the presence of a storm indicates the absence of God’s protection.
For those yelling at Jesus as He slept peacefully in the boat, they were oddly confronted with the competing thought that Jesus was leading them as vessels to go and set the captive free, while at the same time believing He may not actually protect them as they fulfilled His calling on their lives.
How deceptive is it that we would accept God’s calling over us while not trusting Him to empower and cover it in His grace. Or that we would declare His power while questioning His nature.
Really what we desire in the flesh is to benefit from His all-powerful, always-present help while also allowing us to govern it as He is willing to embrace what we choose.
That’s what we do sometimes. We say we believe Jesus is the way, and then find our way to be best when life is the worst.
But don’t confuse your genuine emotions with carnal expressions.
What are carnal expressions? They are our actions which reflect a desire to empower unhealthy cravings. They scream selfish desires in the midst of circumstances God is leveraging to gain more of your heart rather than more of your agenda.
On the other hand, our genuine emotions are a clear indicator of what is broken in our heart that God needs to fix.
Don’t run from your emotions. They are real. They deserve our attention. Just don’t let them sit on the throne of your heart by demanding that your flesh be fed while your soul starves.
What storm do you need God to speak peace over today? What circumstance is begging you to abandon God’s way in favor of your way?
There is peace in the midst of every difficulty you face. Not one burden that weighs your heart down can match the grace of God that will make it light again.
As God’s child, sonship resides at the intersection of your surrender and God’s sovereignty.
Reject the urge to have Him mirror your posture; it’s time to mirror His.
In the middle of your next storm, don’t run to Him to question Him. Run to Him to be like Him.
Reflection Questions:
What is your status? Are there any storm warnings in your life? Is the storm visible in the distance? Or are you bracing for its landfall on the shores of your heart?
Ask God to show you the place of rest in that storm. What obedience is required on your part to have rest?
Who in your life models godly faith and trust in life’s toughest storms? What is it about them that demonstrates their supernatural dependence on God when life is falling apart?
Ask God to impart patience and courage when the big storms loom.
Ask Him to show you any area of pride that is blocking your heart from His rest.
What are the top three areas of pride that God is asking you to give over to Him?