Peace in the Storms of Life
‘Waves’ by Rachel Yorke
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That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 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?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
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Personal
Thank you for inviting me to be with you at Lee Abbey.
I studied with Gordon (the warden) at Cranmer Hall, the University of Durham in 1998 - 2000. One of his recollections of my time in Durham was of me doing wheelies in the Market Square in Durham City. I can’t imagine ever showing off like that — It is not in my nature, humble and meek as I am!
I am grateful for the opportunity to come and share with you this weekend.
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Jesus Calms the Storm
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 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?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
We have had a lot of storms and floods to deal with these last few weeks. But you can prepare for the storms that our meteorologists predict, baton down the hatches and lie low. They are much easier to deal with than the storms that come on us, life events that we never saw coming, the job loss, the recent diagnosis, the relationship breakdown. That is the kind of storm I was faced with at the age of twenty three. Everything was hunky-dory I was training as a Chartered Accountant, successful in sport, played hockey for my town and had represented my country at junior level. I was an active member of my local church and was away on a church week away, hiking and climbing in the Lake District.
Then the bottom fell out of my world, the car I was driving in stalled at the top of a 1 in 3 incline on Honister Pass and the driver lost control of it as it sped backwards down the incline.
We hit the drystone wall on one side and spun to the other side and over the edge into the ravine below. I ended up under the vehicle, my spine crushed, lungs pierced and had to be lifted from the wreckage.Despite being in my darkest hour and struggling for my next breath, I distinctly heard a voice which I knew to be the Lord. He said words from Matthew 28:20, ‘I am with you always.’ That word was like a heartbeat that kept me alive until the ambulance carried me to Whitehaven Hospital. Unknown by me until later, the Lord had provided a Christian Doctor from a passing car who instructed my helpers how to handle a spinally injured person until the emergency services arrived. As you can see, I survived.
For each of us the storms they vary from person to person, and the intensity of our reaction varies too. The message from Mark 4:35-41 is the Lord can help us - and he will help us, that he has power over the wind and the waves. He can calm the storm, Isaiah 43:1 ‘I will be with you.’
Let us look at Mark 4.
Jesus’ popularity was spreading fast, the demands of the crowd were huge, hoping for another story from the master storyteller or another miracle from the miracle worker. But Jesus had another mission, to establish the kingdom of God (on earth as in heaven). He knew one day he would leave the reins of the church in the hands of these few disciples. So in Mark 4:35 he said to his disciples 'let's cross to the other side of the lake,' v36 tells us other boats followed, such was his popularity - was that early Galilean paparazzi?
Three things to note in this well-known story
First, Storms can come suddenly
It had been a memorable afternoon. From far and near people had gathered to hear the Galileans tell them about the Kingdom of God, He told them that the kingdom was like a farmer who went out to sow seeds. He compared the Kingdom to the small mustard seed, which becomes a giant shrub. He told other stories, but the late afternoon faded into dusk, and they set sail on the Sea of Galilee. The sun was shining and we see the human side of Jesus, weary from the day's activity, tired, worn-out he fell asleep. At peace within and asleep.
The Sea of Galilee was notorious for these sudden violent squalls and storms and Galilean fishing boats were not large and an unexpected storm would have been a problem.
Let me tell you something. Trouble can come just that fast in your life. Everything can be going hunky-dory, people can be congratulating you; things can be going your way. Suddenly the phone rings and everything in your life is turned upside down. The test results come back, an accident happens, a work problem and you find yourself amid a storm. Storms can come suddenly. And if you don’t know Him or you do know him but you don’t trust the one who can calm the storm - then you're on your own in the storm.
But there is one who longs to be your anchor hold in the storm. The Lord Jesus Christ.
Amazingly, as this violent storm was taking place, Jesus was asleep. It confirms their worst fears. When the storm within and without is at full squall force, God takes a nap! Have you ever felt that? In my own life, in my low times, I wonder did God take a nap when our car was driving up Honister Pass 43 years ago. Sometimes the trauma makes it seem that God is not a hands-on God. A Saviour who is caught unawares when the storm comes suddenly. But it's not the truth. As the Lord slept he was fully aware of their need both externally and within. The Lord said to me then in my accident and he says to us here today 'I am with you always (Matthew 28:20). He is with you, always, sometimes He calms the raging storm and sometimes he calms the raging storm within us. First thing 'Storms come suddenly'
Secondly, Storms cause fear
Pictures of thrill seekers in Devon standing on the sea walls as the waves crash over them – it’s not normal. Storms cause fear. 'White squall film': terrifying. Think of people knelling in snow in Kiev, storms of war – terrifying. Mark 4v33ff remember these disciples were experienced fishermen but all their skills & natural abilities & even strength of character were useless in the midst of the storm. So they turned to the Lord, he was their saviour, a refuge at their time of trouble.
NB. when Jesus says he is going to the other side we can take his word for it! When the storm arose, their fears arose within them and they let go of the word of the Lord that they were going to the other side. They thought they were going to the bottom of the lake not across it! v37 says the boat was filling with water and was about to sink. They woke Jesus v38 'don’t you know we are about to drown?' And Jesus calmed the storm, but then he addressed the storm within them - 40 'why were you so fearful?' The storm within caused by the fear was greater than the wind and waves.
The storms within us can overwhelm us and we need the reassurance of God's love and God's presence with us - the fear was wiping out their faith, fears erode our faith. It should be enough to be with the Lord whether stormy or not. Is it enough for you that Jesus is with you on your journey or do we judge his love for us by the adversity or the storms? Christianity which promises health and wealth is a false promise.
I don’t know how you sum up trouble but Jesus says in John 16:33 ‘you will have it.’
‘In this world, you will have trouble. But take courage I have overcome the world.’
These storms cause us fear:
Storms of sorrow and grief,
Storms of life's problems -heartbreak, betrayal loss, stress, tragedy, hardship,
Storms of worry
When I was in Australia – Gt Barrier Reef swam out didn’t realise how far. I had never swam that far before, and I began to feel tired. I went slower and slower, and finally I began to flounder – I went under the water a couple of times, and I was petrified - and I was too far to call out for help . I prayed to Lord for strength to make it. I told myself I could make it and what I did - was focus on the boat - my rescuer - and take a single stroke - then another. I refused to think about the depth of the water, or how tired I was - instead I kept looking at the boat - and how it was coming closer - stroke by stroke - and, yes - I made it. I was safe.
It is that way with all our fears - with all the storms or adversity we encounter.
We look to the Saviour instead of just looking at the tempest, the problem, the adversity if we are to overcome fears that could overwhelm us.
Thirdly, Storms can be calmed
Mark4:39 says he rebuked the wind and said to the sea 'Peace! Be Still!' It was the same word he used to silence the demon in Mark 1:25 'be muzzled.' Jesus has the same divine power over the darkness of a storm as he has over demonic darkness. The squall was muzzled, He calmed the storm!
And Jesus gives peace to your storms of sorrow (He calms us with assurance of eternity, changing the darkness of death into the light of eternal life).
Jesus speaks peace to the storms of life's problems. (If we ask for guidance and humbly wait for the Lords response and the Lords peace in our decisions - that's the way of peace).
And Jesus brings peace in the storms of worry. The chief enemy of peace is worry, worry about unknown future, worry about yourself, worry about those you love. The bible urges you to cast your cares on him for he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
I have recently launched the ‘Wilderness Challenge’ on the web site. The challenge is to learn a verse of scripture every day for the season of lent. If you do so you will learn 45 verses by heart. The reason I think this is important, is that I have found in my own storms of life that the Holy Spirit brings to mind a verse to strengthen or reassure me that my hope and trust is well founded.
Someone once said… “You never know God is all you need until God is all you have!”
It is a liberating thing to let go, and let God, to dare to believe that he is with you always, to trust God to make things come out right instead of worrying about how desperate it is in the overwhelming storms of life.
We have one is with us, who never leaves us, who say's to the storms within us 'peace, be still!'
