Following Jesus through the Storm
Jesus said that the single greatest command is to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind—to have a genuine loving relationship with him. Most people, I think, would agree that trust is one of the central pillars supporting any loving relationship. With so much at stake—be it emotions, finances, children, future goals, or even eternity—there needs to be implicit trust for love to fully develop.
“Relationships dominated by fear and insecurity,” writes James Dobson, “will never reach their potential, but [relationships] founded on trust and safety will flourish.” Trust is “the bedrock of a secure and growing relationship,” including your relationship with God.
Claudia was a newlywed in her twenties when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease and given only a fifty percent chance of survival. Quickly, she was operated on and began cobalt treatments that transformed her almost overnight from a young, beautiful woman to a physical wreck.
Her husband was a chaplain’s assistant in a hospital and had seen many sick and dying patients. He said, “In the movies, couples who have fought for years, in the face of danger suddenly forget their differences and come together. But it doesn’t necessarily work that way in real life.”
“When a couple encounters a crisis,” he said, “it magnifies what’s already present in their relationship. Since Claudia and I trust God and love each other deeply, the crisis drove us closer… The crisis of her illness merely…intensified the feelings already present.”
Claudia and her husband had no idea they would ever face such a catastrophe, but because they were trusted in Jesus, they found that they had already developed the strength to weather the storm.
Some of us will never experience the enormity of the crisis that Claudia and her husband faced. But still, there will be some storms—some heartaches, some decisions, some gut-wrenching moments that have the potential for bringing us into a life-changing crisis. And when the storms of life start billowing up, our resolve is tested. We learn what kind of people we really are. What will we do then? When bill collectors are knocking at the door... when family members are in the hospital... when the doctor gives us the worst possible news... Will we be prepared to face it? Will we have the inner resources that we need? And if not, then how can we prepare ourselves for that day?
It’s easy to become anxious, angry, panicked, or just frightened. But Jesus offers this word of peace, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me” (John 14:1 NIV). Even in the midst life’s thunderstorms and hurricanes—even when the circumstances around us seem at their darkest—Jesus teaches us that we can trust in God!
In Mark 4, Jesus is about to teach his followers an important lesson in trusting God. How we face the storm is up to us, but I believe that the experience of twelve fishermen who set out to follow Jesus offers some encouragement. Here is what the Bible says:
As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.”
So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41 NLT)
Shortly before this, Jesus had approached these twelve men—several of them fishermen—and invited them to follow him. And they had only been following Jesus for a little while, when already he had led them into a storm. The sea which they had set out to cross was the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake in northern Palestine. It was heart-shaped, about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It was 680 feet below sea level and was a place of inspiring beauty. However, with mountains surrounding most of the lake, the fierce downdrafts of cold air from the higher elevations to the warm air of the sea, made it frequently subject to violent storms... which was the case this night.
For these veteran fishermen to be afraid for their lives means that this was no ordinary storm. This was a raging tempest with gale-force winds. The amazing thing is that Jesus was perfectly at peace. In fact, he was asleep! “Our hearts seem so far from his. He is pure; we are greedy. He is peaceful; we are hassled. He is purposeful; we are distracted. He is pleasant; we are cranky. He is spiritual; we are earthbound. The distance between our hearts and his seems so immense.” But the heart of Jesus teaches us to trust in God in the midst of the storm; and then we can find peace. I can see at least three ways that Jesus proved his trustworthiness on the see that day. And three ways that the disciples could have been at peace had they trusted the one that brought them there.
I. Peace In His Promises:
Mark tells us, “That evening, Jesus said to his followers, ‘Let’s go across the lake’” (v. 35 NCV). Jesus wanted to put miles of water between himself and the multitudes of people on the western shore. It was Jesus’ idea to cross the sea and go into the eastern countryside! His disciples were simply following were he lead them.
Warren Wiersbe asks the obvious question, “Did Jesus know that the storm was coming? Of course He did!” Jesus unquestionably knew that the storm was coming, and it was within his power to prevent it, but instead he deliberately guided them into the storm. He explains, “The storm was a part of that day’s curriculum. It would help the disciples understand a lesson that they did not even know they needed to learn: Jesus can be trusted in the storms of life!”
If you’ve been following Jesus for any amount of time, then you know it doesn’t take long before he leads you into the storm. Even Jesus, immediately following his baptism, was lead into the desert to be tormented by Satan.
Some people have the false idea that storms only come into their lives when they stop following Jesus (when they’ve done something wrong), but that’s not always the case. In the Old Testament we read about the prophet Jonah. God commanded Jonah to go preach to the people of Nineveh. But, Jonah hated the Ninevites. He didn’t want to preach to them, so instead of following God, he ran the other way. He paid for passage on a small boat, but the further they sailed from Nineveh they worst the storm got. Their ship was being tossed around like the Minnow on Gilligan’s Island. And it would have gone under—it would have been destroyed—had not the crew discovered that it was Jonah’s fault they were in this mess and threw him overboard. And you’ll probably remember that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish and spent three nights in the belly of that whale!
Jonah was lead into the storm because he wasn’t following God. But here, the disciples were directed into this storm because they were following God! Warren Wiersbe, again, points out two kinds of storms: (1) storms of correction, when God disciplines us; and (2) storms of perfection, when God helps us to grow. That’s what this storm was. It was designed for the express purpose of helping Jesus’ followers to trust him in every situation. No matter what storms we may experience we can find peace in the knowledge that God has a purpose for every problem.
Jesus’ proposal, “let’s go across the lake,” was more that just a suggestion—it was a promise! And Jesus always keeps his promises. If Jesus says you are going to the other side of the sea, you can trust that you will make it to the other side. He did not promise an easy trip, but he did promise a guaranteed arrival at their destination.
When we find ourselves enduring hardships, or suffering, even though we are following Jesus in our lives, we must remember that he brought us here and he can see us through.
II. Peace In His Presence:
As the story continues, “a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, ‘Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?’” (v. 37-38 NLT).
It would be one thing if Jesus had said, “You go over across the sea, and I’ll meet on the other shore.” They could still have trusted in his promise, but they would have been alone along the way—and who knows what could have happened, right?
But that isn’t what Jesus said. He told them, “we will go...” and he went with them in the boat! God himself was with them in the storm, so they had nothing to fear—but fear came anyway. Can you identify with the disciples? You know that Jesus is with you, but still, when the clouds turn dark and the lightning strikes, you cry out, “God, don’t you care about me!?”
Jesus, on the other hand, was the very picture of peace. Surprisingly, this is the only place in the entire Bible that speaks of Jesus sleeping—that should probably say something to us. Even in the midst of the storm, Jesus was perfectly at peace! That fact alone should have encouraged his followers. Jesus loved his Father and knew that he would take care of him. So he took a nap. Jesus slept in the storm because he was truly secure the Father’s love. King David once articulated the same kind of peace, when he wrote, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8 NIV).
Too many Christians have the mistaken idea that following Jesus will produces “smooth sailing.” Maybe you thought that as long as you do what God wants you won’t have any trouble. But that’s just not true. Jesus warned us, saying, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 NIV). But he also promised that he will be with us through it all. The Bible says, “When you go through the sea, I am with you. When you go through rivers, they will not sweep you away” (Isaiah 43:2 GW).
You’ve probably heard Mary Stevenson’s prose, Footprints in the Sand. The reason it is so universally known is because we all see a little of ourselves in it. In case you haven’t heard it, she writes:
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, You said that once I decided to follow you, You’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.” The Lord replied, “My son, My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried You.”
We are so blessed that at the most terrible and trying times, we can not only know that Jesus loves us and is with us, but that he will carry us through. When nothing else can help, his love will lift us up. As we follow him more nearly, he will carry us by his own strength. Which brings us then to our next source of peace.
III. Peace In His Power:
His love for God allowed him to sleep through the storm, but his love for his fearful crew caused Jesus to get up! He “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (v. 39-40 ESV).
I can only imagine how Jesus’ followers felt at that moment. Jesus calmed both the wind and the sea simply by the power of his word! Usually after the winds die down, the waves remain rough for hours; but in this case, everything became calm immediately and stayed that way. When God speaks, even the wind and the sea listen.
No wonder the Bible says, “praise him down here on earth, you creatures of the ocean depths. Let fire and hail, snow, rain, wind, and weather all obey” (Psalm 148:7 TLB). Two thousands years later the Word of Christ has not lost its potency. God’s Word is just as powerful as ever. And when we listen to it, it can help bring peace to our lives. Within the thin, leather-bound, pages of your Bible you find God’s plan for your salvation, his promises to mankind, and his purpose for your life!
Isaiah reminded the people of Israel there is peace in God’s word. He wrote, “If only you had listened to my commands! Your peace would be like a river that never runs dry. Your righteousness would be like waves on the sea” (Isaiah 48:18 GWT).
When we feel lost—when the struggles of this life are overwhelming us and it feels like our ship about to sink—we can open our Bibles, listen to Jesus, and let the power of his word calm the winds and quiet the sea!
It also helps to talk to him. Helen Steiner Rice, in A Book of Courage, speaks through her poem, Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled. She writes:
Whenever I am troubled and lost in despair;
I bundle all my troubles up and go to God in prayer.
I tell Him I am sick and lost and lonely too,
That my mind is deeply burdened and I don’t know what to do.
But I know He stilled the tempest and calmed the angry sea,
And I humbly ask if, in His love, He’ll do the same for me.
And then I just keep quiet and think only thoughts of peace,
And if I abide in stillness my restless murmurings cease.
Do you feel troubled or lost in despair? Is your mind deeply burdened? When the sea was rolling and the billows were tossing high, Jesus’ followers looked at the winds and the waves and saw peril, they looked within themselves and saw panic, but they forgot to look toward Jesus and see peace!
When Jesus led his followers into the storm, he intended for it to “help the disciples understand a lesson that they did not even know they needed to learn: Jesus can be trusted in the storms of life.” Loving God means trusting him even when the tempest raging. In time, as we learn to trust completely, we build a solid foundation on which our love for God will thrive and flourish.
