Mark 4:35-41 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 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. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Do you get scared when there is a storm? My husband is one that loves storms. He loves watching a storm come in. He loves watching the wind blow, and the rain come rushing in. He especially loves thunderstorms. I don't even think it would fear him to stand out in a storm. It fascinates him! Now I am just the opposite. I am a little fearful of storms and I think the reason I am is because I think about the damage they can cause. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning storms and hurricanes can cause great devastation. I do not enjoy the destruction that some storms can cause: destroyed homes, loss of possessions, and sometimes loss of lives.
In the Bible, we find examples where Jesus was always in the midst of storms: Storms of nature and the storms of life. One thing you will notice is that Jesus always had the same attitude towards each storm He was involved in, and approached each one in the same manner: with calmness and peace. Some he slipped away from, and some he even slept through.
Peter, one of Jesus' disciples, was in prison, and with death facing him the next day, he was asleep and had to be very roughly awakened by an angel sent to deliver him from his prison. How was it that Peter was able to sleep, knowing that he was going to die? I believe that Peter was able to have peace in this stormy situation because he had been on the ship Jesus was on and had witnessed Jesus calming the storm. And just as Jesus had been sleeping peacefully through the storm, Peter also was able to sleep through "his storm". We can be most assured that we will find ourselves in the midst of storms in our life. And how we respond to them is very crucial.
Paul and Silas, also followers of Jesus ended up in prison too. These two men were able to sing songs of praise and worship even in prison. I am sure that they had heard the story many times how Jesus had calmed the storm, so that when they were faced with "a storm of life", they were able to pray and worship their way through it.
We all have found ourselves one time or another in the midst of a storm and become afraid. But when we see the terribleness of the storm start to rage all around us, we need to climb into the ship with Jesus, turn our eyes away from the storm and onto Jesus, and we will find him peacefully asleep on a pillow. Our Lord desires to comfort and cushion us with "heavenly pillows of peace" when we are caught up in the storms of life. Life will supply the storms that come to us, but Jesus will always be there to supply the "pillows of peace" that will cushion us and provide comfort through those storms. He will speak peace, in the midst of your storm, that brings a calm in your life if you will keep your eyes on Him.
The next time a storm blows your way, just grab your pillow and cuddle up to the Lord and let it not be said of you by the Master, "Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" Always trust the Lord to provide "pillows of peace" in your storm.
Connie J. Schmoll
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