He Still Calms the Storms

The disciples went and woke him (Jesus), saying,

“Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

Matthew 8: 25 (NIV)

The rain lashed at their faces and backs, like a stinging whip brandished by some evil force. The wind, brutal and fierce, tossed the little fishing boat back and forth, rendering all of their efforts futile. As the fishermen clutched the sides of their boat, giant waves snatched them up to heights they’d never been before, only to let go at the peak of their fear and send them crashing back into the churning waves below.

Peter’s stomach clenched in fear as another giant wave hurled the boat sideways. In all my years, I’ve never seen a storm like this, he thought. Surely we will all perish.  

He cast a glance in Jesus’ direction; his master was asleep in the stern, head resting upon a ballast bag doubling as a pillow. How could this be? Was He not aware of the storm which was about to take their lives?

“If only Peter had kept his focus on Jesus, instead of the storm,” we are so quick to judge. “If only he'd realized the one who created the universe was right there with them. If He created the waters, then surely He could control them.”

 Hindsight is so wonderful, isn’t it? It’s easy to trust God when things are going well. But what about those times when we, ourselves, are in the midst of the storm and all seems lost? What about those instances when our very lives are in peril? Or the life of someone we love? Platitudes at moments like these are like words in the wind, especially when our trials reach such terrifying heights that we cry out, “Lord, I am perishing!”

Yet it is precisely in times like these we need to remember that God is, indeed, right there with us. Though He sometimes allows us to reach a point when we can no longer rely on our knowledge, our skills, or our resources and are compelled to fall at his feet in complete surrender, God is never oblivious to our struggles.

It may seem like he’s sleeping while we are weeping. We don’t like His silence. We wish He would simply reach out His all-powerful hand to still the storm. Yet God is right there with us, waiting till we call out to Him, so He can silence not only the tempest roiling around us, but also still the storm raging within us.

No matter the size of the storm we are enduring, God is still on the throne. Do not be afraid. Be still. The One who put the stars in the skies and keeps them in place is the same God who carries us close to His heart. And He will never let go.