And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. — Mark 4:39
Many years ago, my wife and I went on a cruise in the Caribbean. While we were at sea, we ended up in the path of a storm. It was not a major hurricane or anything, but I will never forget the many adjustments that were made. For example, we missed several stops of our cruise and spent many days in the rain while we were at sea.
I had not spent a lot of time on boats of any size, but what really stood out to me was how the ship rocked and moved in the middle of that storm. As we walked down the halls of the ship, we struggled just to stay upright. Even staying in bed was a struggle at times due to the rocking of the ship.
I can only imagine what the disciples were feeling in this story when they were in a much smaller ship and in the middle of the storm. The ship was taking on water and the story tells us that the ship was taking on water. They were worried for their lives!
We find in the Scripture that Jesus was asleep in the ship. No doubt the waves were rocking Him, but He was still asleep. If the ship had taken on water, it’s even possible His clothing was wet from the waves crashing around. It still was not enough to disrupt the sleep of our Savior.
Then we see the famous words that we so often comfort ourselves within the middle of the storms of life. The disciples ran to wake Jesus and He got up and said, “Peace, be still.” Immediately the wind ceased and there was calm across the water.
Each storm of life is different. There are some that will rock the ship, where perhaps it makes it feel difficult to stand. Perhaps it keeps you up at night out of concern. Others, they may very well have you fearing for your life.
No matter what type of storm we may find ourselves in, God is with us in them all. If it’s just a little bump or one that looks like it could take your life, He is there and He is able to speak peace. It may not end the storm as He did for the disciples, but when Jesus speaks peace, we can find rest amid the crashing waves.