Peace, Be Still…

Jesus ‘went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.’

You’ve probably read this many times but look again, we don’t read of any hesitation by the disciples, Jesus commanded, they simply obeyed!

Yes, they were His disciples, He was their teacher and that was what they were expected to do but Friends each Believer is a follower of Jesus too and obedience is expected of us also, following Jesus is what we’re supposed to do, it means going where our leader leads, walking in His footsteps.

‘And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.’

Here they are, being obedient, following Jesus and a storm came!

Friends, we’re not promised it’ll be easy following Jesus but we are promised that He’ll be with us.

But Jesus was asleep and they had to wake Him.

We see here that Jesus didn’t just step in and calm the storm, they had to go to Him!

In their fear they ask Him…

‘Master, carest thou not that we perish?’

After all the love He’d shown them they say don’t you care?!

But Jesus just calmly gets up…

‘and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.’

Then He gently rebukes them for their lack of faith.

‘Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’

After all they’d seen Him do, after all His love they’d felt, after all they’d seen of His power and goodness, why were they fearful?

Because just like us Friends they were weak and sinful and sometimes they too looked at the waves rather than the One who controls them!

Where are your eyes fixed Friend, ‘why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?’ Jesus is in the boat with you, the storm cannot harm you.

We don’t know the strength of the Anchor until we’ve tested it in a storm and it’s in the storms that we learn to ‘be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.’

So Friend, follow where Jesus leads, fix your eyes upon Him, He’s with you even in the storm ‘for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’

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Luke 8:22, Mark 4:37, 40, Eph 6:10, Heb 13:5.