The Thing About Storms

Storms happened all the time on the Sea of Galilee, but apparently this was a pretty bad one because even the seasoned sailors were panicking.

Jesus and the disciples had set out in their boat for the other side, but a severe storm arose. Meanwhile, Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat. I find it interesting that the storm didn’t awaken Jesus from his sleep, but the cry of the disciples did.

They shouted, “Don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” (Mark 4:38 NLT). In this sense, Jesus really was asleep, but in a broader sense, God never sleeps. Remember, Jesus was fully God and fully man. So he was exhausted and drained from the activities of the day.

But when the disciples woke Him, Jesus “rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Silence! Be still!’ Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm” (verse 30 NLT).

Does it ever seem as though God is asleep? Psalm 121:4 says, “He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (NKJV). God is always aware of what we’re going through.

Maybe you’re going through a storm today. By a “storm” I mean a hardship, a difficulty, or perhaps even a tragedy. And like the disciples, you’re saying, “Lord, don’t You care? Are You even paying attention?”

Storms come into our lives as Christians. Sometimes God himself will send the storm, as in the case of Jonah, who was disobedient to God and effectively reaped the consequences of his actions.

At other times, the Devil will send a storm, and God will allow it. Sometimes we call on the Lord and He stops the storm. At other times He is with us and sustains us through the storm. But know this: Storms don’t last forever. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end.