"When evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41)
There is a questions the disciples asked Jesus in verse 38 that jumps off the page for me. They asked, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
That question. It’s a question we have all asked at one point or another. “God, don’t you care?”
All of us face storms in life. No one is immune. There is a lesson we all need to learn. Don’t interpret God’s immediate lack of response as a sign that he doesn’t care.
There were two storms present that night. The storm outside with the wind and waves and also, the emotional storm that raged on the inside.
I’ve learned that my biggest battles are often inside. If I don’t fight the battle within, I won’t be ready to fight the battle without. If you learn how to calm the waves within you can ride out the waves on the outside.
There’s one more thing I want you to see here. The disciples were led into the storm so they could experience the power of God.
Just because you are encountering a storm in your life, does not mean necessarily that you are out of the will of God or willfully disobeying him.
Every storm comes with a purpose. God’s objectives. Lessons learned. Spiritual growth to be obtained. Faith to be strengthened.
We grow through adversity. If you never had a financial problem, you wouldn’t know God could provide. If you were never discouraged, you wouldn’t know God could give you peace. If you were never confused, you wouldn’t know God could give us wisdom…and on I could go. This is how we learn and grow.
Here’s what I love about this story….Jesus rebuked the storm….not the disciples. To them he simply asked, “Why are you so afraid?
Today’s Challenge: Remember this truth: Jesus cares. He can be trusted. You are not alone. He is with you. Sometimes he calms the storm. Other times he calms the storm inside of you.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you have a story of God's faithfulness when you were facing one of life's storms?
- What gives you encouragement when life is tough?
- Do you have a "go to" scripture verse when facing adversity?
Recommended Resource: In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado
Follow on social:
Facebook.com/5minutediscipleship
Instagram.com/5minutediscipleship
Click here to learn how you can start your own podcast.