July 20

Peace in Storm

Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded, — Mark 6:51 BSB

When Jesus comes to us, our troubles cease. At His command, even the wildest storm becomes calm. The trouble itself may not disappear, but it no longer feels like a trouble when He is with us. The wind may continue to blow and beat upon our lives, but He brings peace within us. It is far better to have so much grace that our hearts remain calm and quiet in the midst of the fiercest storm than to have the storm quieted while our hearts remain restless. Peace within is far more valuable than any external calm.

In a gallery in Italy, there are two paintings side by side, created by different artists. One depicts a sea tossed by a storm. Dark clouds hang overhead, lightning flashes through the sky, and the waves roll in fury. In the churning waters, a lifeless human face can be seen. The second painting shows a sea just as stormy, but in the midst of the turbulent waters, there is a rock with a cleft, where green plants and flowers grow. Amid these, a dove sits quietly on her nest.

These two pictures illustrate the story of human life in this world. The first represents life without Christ, where there is no peace, only storm. The second represents the peace that Christ gives. The storm is just as fierce, but there is peace. The rock represents Christ, and it is in the cleft of this rock that peace is found.

"Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee."

It is in the redemption and atonement of Christ alone that we can find peace. "In me you will have peace." So if we invite Christ into our lives as we journey through the storm-swept sea of life, we will sail safely through the tempests and arrive at the shores of glory.