Surviving Life’s Storms

Mark 4:37-41

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

38 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?

39 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.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

The storm on the Sea of Galilee serves as a metaphor to remind readers that no one is exempt from life’s storms just because he or she follows Christ. As was true for the disciples here, tempests can burst upon His people’s lives even when

· They are near Him;

· They are doing nothing wrong and everything right;

· No sin separates them from Him;

· They are perfectly in His will.

So rough weather should never surprise us (1 Peter 4:12, 13). In fact, Scripture says that storms must come our way if we want to live a godly live (2 Timothy 3:12).

When Jesus and the disciples shoved off from the shore that day, He knew the storm was coming, yet He didn’t prevent it. Why? First, He knew He would be with them through it. Second, He knew that a life without turmoil has no real meaning, has no real joy, and produces no real faith (Psalm 119:67, 71, 75).

In all of life’s storms, Christian must remember that Jesus is in the boat with them. He is present; He is in control; nothing surprises Him; He has not forgotten us or our plight. If we know this, we can trust that He will bring peace into every situation (John 14:27; 16:33) – no matter how tempestuous our surroundings – and land us safely at His intended destination.