Peace Be Still

"Why me?" Have you ever asked that question about something that is going on in your life? I mean if you are reading this blog then more than likely you have some foundational relationship with God our Father, so why would He allow something like whatever it is you had going on happen to you? There's plenty of non-believers out there to let the bad instances of life to be dumped on, so the question begs to be asked, "Why me?" 

When we are hurting we are vulnerable, and it is safe to say that we probably also feel alone, which can definitely activate fear and even hopelessness. Been there. But, that was in a different life, I have grown so much over the past ten years, grown closer to God that is. As I have nurtured my relationship with my Father, the things that would have probably gotten me to that point of asking "why" just haven't happened as frequently as in my past. But don't think you are the only one out there that has a relationship with God and is still trying to figure out why "bad things happen to good folks", even the disciples were guilty of asking the "why" question.

In Mark 4:36-40 we read about a time when Jesus and His disciples were caught in a storm at sea. Jesus was in the stern asleep when the disciples came to Him for help. "And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” So, the disciples were basically asking "why me?" and they were in the same boat with the Son of the Living God! You would imagine that if you were right there in the boat with God's Son, you surely wouldn't think that God would let your boat sink in the midst of the storm you were experiencing at that moment. But look at what the disciples said, "Do you not care that we are perishing?" (v.38) In other words, "why me?". 

In this particular situation Jesus spoke the words "Peace be still" and the winds immediately died down and the storm subsided, which I'm sure lowered their anxiety levels one hundred percent, but Jesus wasn't finished with the disciples yet. I guess Jesus was thinking the obvious, if you are in the boat with the Son of the God that created everything, even the high winds and stormy seas, what do you have to worry about anyway? If we have a true relationship with God then we are in essence in the boat with God and regardless of the storms of life we are facing He is there with us. Jesus asks the disciples if they just don't have faith in Him after everything they have been through together. To that point I guess I'm asking you the same question. If you have a relationship with God then do you understand that He is right there with you in your storms of life?  

I have one more point to clarify and this one is critical to the whole idea of trusting and believing, i.e. faith. When Jesus came out from the stern He immediately calmed the winds and the storm subsided. Lean in and understand this, the winds subsided allowing the deadly conditions of the storm to pass, but the wind did not disappear. Even though the disciples asked Jesus to take care of their predicament, He didn't remove the storm's source, Jesus just made it all bearable for the disciples so they could navigate the boat and safely reach the shore. Just as Jesus calmed the winds but didn't remove the wind from the sky, many times God doesn't necessarily answer our prayers when we cry out "why me" in the exact manner that we believe He should respond to our cries for "help". God is with us in the storm, the winds may blow and the storms may gust, but we have an anchor that holds in the midst of life's storm*. When God speaks "Peace be still" He isn't saying be gone, His command is to "be still" or be at ease, comforted, at rest. 

That is the message of hope I want to share with each of you today. Call out to Him today, whether you have a relationship or not, call out for his help and He will be there in your time of need. God will give you peace to confront the storm, He may not necessarily take the storm that you are in and completely take it away. His promise today is the same yesterday and today as it was some 2000 years ago. I will be with you, the storms may still be there, but you will be able to handle them because God is there with you and even when the storms of life rear their ugly little head, we find comfort and strength knowing that God is right there with us. You are not alone! The One True Anchor is there with you in spite of any storm you will encounter.

Coach Carter

 *A little praise and worship this morning embrace it: The Anchor Holds