DEVOTIONAL: Peace in Jesus

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:37-39

Life’s storms.

It’s interesting how we can get so afraid or overwhelmed when we hear the roar of the storm. Sometimes before it even hits. The sound of the storm can be more overwhelming than the actual storm itself. There are times the storm is so minimal that when it arrives, that we wonder why we were so afraid. Other times, the roar of the storm is a fair warning of what’s about to come.

The storms will come. We know that. Most of us have come to expect them. Like me, you may have faced more storms than you want to remember. Even still, it’s not always easy to cope with. But Mark 4:39 reminds us that He is present in the midst of the storm:

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He is with us.

Even when we can’t see Him, He’s still there. Jesus is still with us. As He promises in Joshua 1:9, ” the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” He’s with us wherever we go. [bctt tweet=”His voice is still commanding the wind and the waves to be still.  And they still obey Him. #ACW #leilaArmstrong ” username=”acwriters”]

He is here, in the roar of the storm. And He is not frightened by the storm. Despite the roar around us, He is still speaking peace and hope into our hearts. He is still near; ever close to us, holding us in His hands and encouraging our hearts with His love.

Storms come and go, but Jesus stays.

The storms of life are always going to rage around us. The storm will look different for each one of us, but there will be a storm. For some of us, the storm will rage for a short time and disappear. But for some, the storm will roar and rage for a while. It might feel like the winds will never stop howling and the thunder will never quieten down.

Regardless of the duration of your storm, He is there. Even in what seems to be a never ending storm. He is still there. He is still in it with you, working in the background and speaking peace into you and over you.

Facing the storm with Jesus.

We aren’t always able to control the storm around us, but we can control the storm within. And we do that by accepting the peace that God offers. By leaning in and listening to His whispers of peace and love and encouragement. Trusting that He is in the midst of our storm with us and will carry us through. Walking the path with God isn’t always the easiest, but it’s safest because He is with us. The wind and waves still heed His commands, and in His time, He will settle the storm. The Jesus that commanded the waves to settle down is still the same Jesus that commands our storm to settle down.

Anchored in Christ.

I don’t know what your storm looks like today. Maybe the winds have finally settled and the sun is coming out. Maybe your storm is coming to an end and you can see relief coming. Or maybe the roar is getting louder and it feels like the storm will never settle. Whatever it looks like for you, hold firm to the Anchor we have in Christ. Take hold of the peace He is speaking into your heart and spirit and trust Him; trust that He will settle the storm and have you walking on water with Him. Because He is faithful and He is with you.

Reflections

What storms has Jesus settled in your life? 

How can you anchor yourself in Him today to withhold the storm?