Family,
If you've walked with the Lord for any length of time, you've probably discovered something that surprises many new believers.
Following Jesus does not exempt us from storms.
Sometimes we assume that if we are walking in God's will, life should become easier. We expect smooth waters, open doors, and trouble-free days. Yet when we open the Scriptures, we find something altogether different.
Some of the fiercest storms in the Bible were experienced by people who were exactly where God wanted them to be.
That includes the disciples.
Mark tells us,
"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side."
— Mark 4:35 (KJV)
Those words are easy to read past, but they are incredibly important.
Notice who initiated the journey.
Jesus did.
The disciples were not in the storm because they had wandered from God's will.
They were in the storm because they obeyed the voice of Christ.
That truth alone has encouraged me many times.
Sometimes we find ourselves asking, "Lord, did I miss Your will?" simply because life has become difficult.
But difficulty is not always evidence that we have stepped outside of God's plan.
Sometimes obedience leads us directly into the storm.
Mark continues,
"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full."
— Mark 4:37 (KJV)
The Sea of Galilee was well known for violent storms. Because it sits nearly 700 feet below sea level and is surrounded by steep hills, cold air rushing down through the valleys could collide with the warm air above the lake, producing sudden and dangerous squalls.
Several of the disciples were experienced fishermen.
They had spent countless hours on these waters.
Yet this storm was so severe that even they feared for their lives.
That reminds us that there are storms in life that exceed our own strength and experience.
No amount of human wisdom, preparation, or ability can calm every storm we encounter.
Eventually, every believer reaches a place where only Christ can carry them through.
Then Mark records one of the most remarkable details in the entire account.
"And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow..."
— Mark 4:38 (KJV)
Jesus was asleep.
At first, that almost seems unbelievable.
The waves were crashing.
The boat was filling with water.
The disciples were panicking.
And Jesus slept.
His sleep reminds us of His true humanity.
The eternal Son of God took on flesh.
He grew weary.
He became hungry.
He experienced exhaustion.
After a full day of teaching the crowds, He rested.
Yet His sleep also became a test for His disciples.
Would they trust Him even when He appeared silent?
That question reaches beyond the Sea of Galilee.
There are seasons when God seems quiet.
Prayers appear unanswered.
Circumstances remain unchanged.
The temptation is to assume that because God is silent, He is absent.
But silence is never the same as absence.
The Savior was still in the boat.
The disciples cried out,
"Master, carest thou not that we perish?"
— Mark 4:38 (KJV)
Have you ever prayed something like that?
Perhaps not with those exact words, but with that same feeling.
"Lord, do You see what I'm facing?"
"Do You know how heavy this has become?"
"Do You care?"
If we're honest, many believers have wrestled with those questions.
The disciples did not doubt Jesus' power.
In that moment, they questioned His care.
And isn't that often where our faith struggles?
Not with whether God can help.
But with whether He will.
Then everything changed.
"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
— **Mark 4:39 (KJV)
The Greek expression translated "Peace, be still" carries the sense of being silenced or muzzled. Jesus speaks to the wind and the sea with absolute authority, and creation immediately obeys.
Think about that for a moment.
The wind has no choice but to listen.
The waves cannot resist His command.
Creation recognizes the voice of its Creator.
This is where the theology of Mark's Gospel becomes breathtaking.
Throughout the Old Testament, it is the LORD who rules the sea.
The psalmist declares,
"Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them."
— Psalm 89:9 (KJV)
Psalm 107 describes sailors caught in a violent storm crying unto the Lord, and it says,
"He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still."
— Psalm 107:29 (KJV)
When Jesus stills the storm, Mark is not simply showing us another miracle.
He is revealing the identity of Jesus.
The One standing in the boat is the same Lord who rules creation.
The wind obeys Him because it belongs to Him.
The sea grows quiet because it recognizes its Maker.
This miracle is ultimately a declaration of Christ's deity.
Then Jesus asked His disciples two questions.
"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
— Mark 4:40 (KJV)
Notice that Jesus did not ask why the storm came.
Storms are part of living in a fallen world.
Instead, He addressed their fear.
Faith is not the absence of storms.
Faith is confidence in Christ while the storm is still raging.
The disciples had witnessed His teaching.
They had seen His authority over demons and disease.
Yet they still struggled to trust Him in the middle of difficulty.
I think many of us can relate.
It is one thing to trust God when life is calm.
It is another thing to trust Him when the boat is taking on water.
The account ends with one of the greatest questions in all of Scripture.
"What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
— Mark 4:41 (KJV)
That is the question Mark wants every reader to answer.
Not simply,
"How did Jesus calm the storm?"
But,
"Who is this Man?"
He is not simply a teacher.
Not simply a prophet.
Not merely a miracle worker.
He is the eternal Son of God, clothed in human flesh, exercising the authority that belongs to the Creator alone.
The disciples entered the storm fearing the wind.
They left the storm in awe of Jesus.
Sometimes the greatest miracle is not that God changes our circumstances.
It is that He changes our understanding of who He is.
This passage also points us to an even greater storm.
There was another day when darkness covered the land.
The sky grew black.
The earth shook.
It appeared that evil had triumphed.
At Calvary, Jesus willingly entered the greatest storm any person has ever faced.
He bore the judgment our sins deserved.
He drank the cup of God's righteous wrath.
He endured the cross so that all who trust in Him might be forgiven.
Three days later, He rose in victory over sin, death, and the grave.
Because Christ conquered the greatest storm, we can trust Him through every lesser one.
The same Savior who stood in the boat now reigns at the Father's right hand.
He has not ceased to care for His people.
He has not lost His authority.
He has not forgotten His promises.
So let me leave you with this question.
What storm are you facing today?
Perhaps it is a season of grief.
Perhaps it is uncertainty about the future.
Perhaps it is illness, financial strain, family conflict, or a prayer that seems unanswered.
Remember this.
The presence of the storm does not mean the absence of Christ.
Sometimes the Lord calms the storm.
Sometimes He strengthens His disciples to endure it.
But in every circumstance, He remains Lord.
And if the One who commands the wind and the waves is in your boat, you have every reason to trust Him.
Because the safest place a disciple can be is not in calm waters.
It is in the presence of Christ.
"Peace, be still."
— Mark 4:39 (KJV)
May those words quiet our hearts this week.
Until next time, keep learning, keep growing, and keep staying near to Christ.
Randy Faulkner
The Learning Disciple