Peace

In Mark 4, we find Jesus in a storm. His disciples were fighting for their lives, but he was asleep. 

After they exhausted all their efforts, they woke him in fear. 

He then said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" 

With this result: "And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm" (v. 39).

Why didn't they wake Jesus earlier? 

Why don't we?

You Don’t Have To Fight The Storms Alone

Some of us don't think we need His help. 

We think our boat is big enough, the storm small enough, our abilities good enough, or that our training and experience are all that's needed. 

Like these veteran sailors, we've been through storms on our lake before and we know how to handle our boats. We like rowing. We don't need help. We want to do this ourselves. We think we can.

But no boat, ability, money, possession, or resource is enough to live at peace without God. That's just how He made the world—and us.

Some of us have given up on peace. 

We accept storms as a way of life. We've been through so many downpours, so many hurricanes, that we've given up on peace in our hearts or homes. We're accustomed to a life filled with stress and strife, hectic hurry, and perennial pressure.

All the while, the Prince of Peace waits to give peace to our hearts and souls, to calm our storms, to bring tranquility to our lives—if we will ask.

And some of us have given up on God. 

He's been asleep in our boat before. We prayed without answers, or so we think. We grieved without hope, suffered without help, rowed on our own. Or so it seems to us. So we let him sleep. 

All the while, he's waiting for us to turn to him first.

Invite Him to captain your boat. 

Go to Him at the first sign of a storm. Settle for nothing less than His peace. 

Then decide to begin each day's voyage with Him at the helm.

Apply the lesson

• Name your storm (e.g., illness, stress, family concerns, unbelief, etc.)
• Where is your ship battered? 
• How can Jesus bring you peace?
• Why is peace one quality of a civil person? Put another way: How does peace cause an uncivil person to react?
• Pray that God would turn your heart to Him in every storm. Allow Him to “reclaim the helm” of your life every morning.