And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

Mark 4:39

Amidst the storm, Jesus acted! In this familiar example from the recorded adventures of Jesus and his disciples, we may focus on the storm, the sleeping Jesus, or the words “Peace! Be still!” What happens next is what we, as sinful humans, most desire: a great calm.

Storms surround us, too, loneliness, medical diagnoses, family conflict, uncertainties. We fret. We worry. We doubt. We feel so alone.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for it is he who rebukes the storms in our lives and gives us this great calm. It is because of Jesus’ presence in our lives that our spirits are soothed, our confidence in God’s grace is reestablished, and we are reminded of his promises.

Dave Ebeling
Bloomington, IN

Dear Jesus, in my storms of life, remind me that you are in my boat. I praise you for your power and your great calm! Amen.

Reflect: Identify a specific storm in your life and the great calm that came after it was resolved.

Read: Mark 4:35-41 and Psalm 23