3 Things to Remember When the Storms of Life Come

When we hear the words "be still," we often think of them as directions for us to follow... something we're supposed to do. If we're waiting on a specific outcome, be still. If we're unsure what to do in a situation, be still. If we're in a storm, be still. There are many verses in the Bible where we are directed to be still. But when I came across these words in Mark 4:38-41, I found a much different message than I was expecting.

I recently saw the words "be still" on a wall calendar, and Mark 4:39 was written in small print underneath. At first, I figured it was the same message as the other "be still" verses in the Bible about how we need to be still and wait on God. I was curious what exactly Mark 4:39 said, so I looked it up. Mark 4:38-41 says, "Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?' 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to His disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' 41 They were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!'"

There's so much goodness in these verses, but there were three main things that stood out to me to remember when the storms of life come our way in order to find rest and peace. They are:

1. God is with you in the storms. When a storm hits, it can often feel like God is nowhere to be found, but nothing could be further from the truth. He is right there with us on the boat, just like He was with the disciples on the boat. The text says that Jesus was sleeping (because even though He was fully God, He was also fully man and, therefore, needed sleep just like we do), but Psalm 121:4 says that our God, who watches over His children, "never slumbers nor sleeps". In the storms, God is with you, and He is watching over you.

2. God has authority over the storms. My favorite part in these verses was in verse 39, where it says, "He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." This time, when God was saying to be still, He wasn't telling His children to be still (like we see in many of the "be still" verses throughout the Bible). This time, He was telling the storm around them to be still. He doesn't just tell us to weather the storms as He stills our hearts in the midst of them. In Mark 4:39, He stills the storm itself! The storms in our lives have to submit to His authority. This is so comforting because, no matter how fearful the storm is that we face, it's never more powerful than our God. Our God is always in control, and the wind and the waves have to be still the moment He speaks the word.

3. God understands when we are fearful in the storms. In Mark 4:40, it may seem like Jesus is rebuking His disciples, but Tara Leigh Cobble from The Bible Recap explains that Jesus only rebukes what's causing the disciples to be fearful. He doesn't rebuke the disciples themselves (Day 288). She says that, even though they accused Him of not caring about them in verse 38, He still shows them compassion and kindness in their fear and doubt, and He encourages them to lean into their faith in Him.

Our God doesn't just comfort and calm us in the storm. He does something much greater... He calms the storm itself! When we're facing storms, we can have full confidence knowing that our God has complete authority and power over every storm we face, and He can still them in a moment. We can find rest and peace as we remember that He is with us, showing us compassion and encouraging us to trust Him in our storms because He is in control, no matter how big the storm may feel. My prayer for you today is that Jesus will still any storms you are facing, that the winds will die down, and that you will feel complete calmness and peace in Him. In Jesus's name, Amen! ♥