June 25

Christ in the Storm

Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. — Mark 4:39 BSB

Jesus spoke to the storm and the sea as if they were intelligent creatures—just as a man would speak to his servants. The truth we learn here is that Jesus is Lord of nature. The elements recognize His voice and obey Him, even in their wildest moods. If we truly believed this, it would bring great peace to our lives. No storm ever escapes His control, and no wave rolls farther than He allows. Everything in this world is under the power of the hand that was nailed to the cross.

There is a story of a Christian officer at sea with his family during a storm. The passengers were terrified, but he remained calm. His wife, in her distress, chided him, saying he should be concerned for their safety. He said nothing but soon came to her with a sword drawn and pointed at her heart. She looked at him with a smile, unafraid. He asked, “Aren’t you afraid when a sword is at your chest?” She replied, “Not when I know it’s in the hand of someone who loves me.” “Then why,” he asked, “should I be afraid of this storm when I know it is in the hand of my heavenly Father, who loves me?”

In the wild tumults of life, we too should be at peace, knowing our Savior is Lord of nature. Someone once described seeing a bird calmly resting on the crest of a wave during a terrible storm at sea, as serene as if it were in a quiet forest. This is how believers should rest in Christ, even in the most terrifying moments.