Quiet, Be Still!

Okay, you’re out in the middle of the ocean, and suddenly you find yourself in the middle of a hurricane. Waves are coming over the side of the boat, and you are frantically bailing out water and doing all you possibly can to stay alive. Sound crazy? Well, this is the predicament the disciples found themselves in one night as they were crossing the Sea of Galilee. Everything around them was screaming impending doom and death. What was so remarkable was that Jesus was in the back of the boat sleeping. Frantically, the disciples awoke him, yelling, “don’t you care if we drown.” Jesus was taking a peaceful map, completely calm and unafraid. Let’s read what happened together.

Mk 4:35-41 That day, when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 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.  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Jesus wasn’t the least bit afraid because of the power he walked in. His faith in God was so secure that he knew he could not die and that he had the power to change the situation with just his words.

When circumstances get crazy around you, do you find yourself acting like the disciples or Jesus? You see, fear is always saying, “what if,” but faith is always saying, “God is.” Do you know that God is with you? Do you genuinely believe that God will never leave you or forsake you? Hebrews 13:5  Look at what the psalmist wrote regarding fear and uncertainty.

Psalm 43:1-3, 7  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

The power to avoid danger and do great things comes from what we believe. Jesus was clear about how much faith it would take to do great things – look at what he said.

Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

You probably remember the story of the man with the demon-possessed son. Jesus told him, “everything is possible to the one who believes.” Mk 9:23  Oh, yes, a little faith can heal the sick, raise the dead, move mountains, and even calm a raging storm!

After Jesus had rebuked the wind and waves, he said to them, “Do you still have no faith?” Mk 4:40 To our natural minds, it would seem like a lot of faith would be necessary to calm a storm, but Jesus said it only takes a little. Jesus’desire was that the disciples would believe like him and do the works he was doing.

Do you ever find yourself afraid of the circumstances you are facing? Remember, love is what casts out fear.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Activate your faith! Go ahead...Do what Jesus did! Speak to your circumstances and BELIEVE That God will back you up with his power!

Please understand; if you genuinely believe that God loves you, is with you, and will never leave you, fear will not rule your mind! You see, how you view God’s thoughts towards you will determine whether you walk by faith or in fear. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” God wants you to meditate on what he says is true about you and your relationship with him until that truth becomes your reality.

My dearest friend, next time your circumstances are screaming at you, declaring impending doom, use the truth God has given you! Do what Jesus did! Do what the word of God says you can do! Activate your faith, lift up your voice and shout…

Quiet, Be Still!