This week I was reminded of the story of Jesus calming the storm. I taught pre-school for years and this is a story I told over and over. You may remember that this story is told in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is Mark 4:35-41 that we are going to focus on. As I told this story to pre-schoolers, you can imagine that I thought I knew it. It is short – 7 verses! And pre-schoolers have a very short attention span. I had always imagined that Jesus came up on deck and yelled at the storm to stop and it did. Once as I was preparing, the Holy Spirit said, “Jesus did not yell. His power is strong even in a whisper.” I was pretty amazed by this. It makes a difference to my heart to understand Jesus did not yell. I try to yell over storms in my life but Jesus is greater than me.

I woke up the other morning with this same lesson on my heart. However this time, the Holy Spirit had a different message for me. The disciples were panicked. The scripture says their situation was getting dangerous because the boat was filling with water. They went to get Jesus and cried out to Him. “Jesus, do you even know what was going on? It’s bad! We are going to die!” (I paraphrase)

Jesus knew. He walked up on deck, rebuked the winds and the waves and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then there was a great calm. I can’t help but think Jesus command was not only for the storm but also for the disciples. That is what I heard the other morning. Jesus telling me, “Peace! Be still!” Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the awe the disciples had at who He was! Jesus had called the disciples way back in the 1st chapter. They had seen Him heal people and listened to Him speak, yet they still had “little faith.” They did not yet trust Him. 

Jesus led them into the boat and into the lake where He was well aware there was a storm waiting for them. Jesus calmed the storm for them when they cried out for help. All to show them the incredible power and authority that He held over nature and their lives. Jesus was more than able to care for them, just as He is us.

Jesus knows what you are encountering. He desires for you to cry out to Him so that He can reveal to you a new aspect of His character that you have not seen before. What storm, besides COVID-19, do you find your self in right now. Cry out to Jesus. He hears you.