Mark 4:35-41
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 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!”
Acts 27:13-17
Paul and the Ship's Crew Take a Battering from a Storm
13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure. 17 When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
21 After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”
John 16:33
Storms and Troubles in Life
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 14:27
A Peace Not of this World
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
When we follow Jesus, He give us peace -but it is a peace not of this world...He is from Another World...And Jesus does not give us an exemption from troubles in this world...His followers will face wind storms, ice storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes, just like everyone else...We will face troubles like grief, death, suffering, and sickness...Even the very ones who would spread His gospel and teachings were not excluded from the sufferings and troubles of this world...His earliest of followers faced many types of hardships and were persecuted, in addition to the weather related troubles they would have faced -as they traveled spreading the good news...
He comes right out and tells us that in this world we will have trouble...But we can take heart because He has overcame the world in which we live in...The Twelve were in a boat when this furious squall quickly came up and on them...(They probably wondered, why is this happening, doesn't God know Jesus is in this boat)...Jesus will give them a lesson on faith...Their Master was sleeping...They quickly woke Him up and ask Him if even cared if they were to drown?...They were fearful...What He did was get up (and I can imagine, He got up very quietly and humbly), calm the wind and the waves and everything settled down...Then He ask them about their faith...So much in life is not what happens in life, but what we do after those bad things happen to us...Jesus teaches us when He is there with us, we are to have faith...But we are also to still have faith when the storms and troubles come in our lives...Jesus was with the Twelve in the same boat, and nothing bad could really go wrong, and the reason is the Son of God was with them...We see that even with the Twelve disciples and Jesus being and playing such a big role in their lives, and their learning about God and the eternities from Him, troubles still come up -even though He was right there with them...
Paul, the great apostle, was always teaching about Jesus after his conversion...But he too, was in a very bad storm...The storm he was in, led to his ship being wrecked...Paul, like the Twelve, and we are not exempt from these types of troubles or sufferings...
Let us learn from Jesus, that some of our fears show a lack of faith...Having faith in Jesus, is knowing that He does care, and will save us in His own way and by God's will (not by ours)...We will face storms, even with Him there -even with faith...Let us react to our problems, in a show of faith...This is harder to do when that hardship and trouble is right upon us and our families, but it is what He teaches...In a divine way, if one thinks about it, if the wind and waves listen to Him, surely I must to and have this faith in the times of my storms...Surely, I must listen to Him..