Mark 4:39 "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."When the storm comes, I go to the Lord for solace. Where else would I even think of turning?
This truth from scripture was of a physical storm, but it's not there to calm us from the fear of bodily harm, but from the storm within!
What type of storm can we have? Spiritual and emotional comes to mind with a covalence one with the other. When we are in an emotional storm our spirit suffers at the same time. If we truly are Christians, God's desire is that we control our emotions, because in the storm it's him who can calm!
God's command was that the storm "be still", it was and peace came about.
What emotions are the storm: anger, hostility, vengefulness, and self-pity. These are the waves in the storm and they are there to disrupt the spirit, essentially principalities rocking the symbolic boat, trying to capsize what is God's. These emotions are as the wave crests in water.
On the other side emotions might be: hurt, a sense of loneliness, feeling unloved, or distraught, knowing not where to turn. These are the wave troughs between the crests.
The difference between the two is the wave height and is the amplitude resulting from the storm. If the crest and trough are extreme the wave can sink the ship. The crest can peak and break. That's the surfers barrel or tube which can wash-out even the best if they are not careful. Christians need to "be still" and never ride those fast and turbulent waves.
On the other end are standing waves. They are the ones which oscillate back and forth and tend to go nowhere. Some choose to ride that wave because they're comfortable standing up there emotionally excited with little thought that the standing wave may turn into a barrel wave.
To avoid harm, Jesus wills that the waters be peaceful by being still. That's directed not so much at the water, but those who were in the boat with Jesus and feared for themselves. "Cease the agitation!"
Themselves is the keyword here! Each person in the storm cares more for themselves than for Jesus. Jesus was asleep in the boat, but it was each of the others who feared, not even thinking about Jesus!
In our emotional and spiritual storms, they come about because rather than caring about Jesus, it is the self we all try to protect. Jesus is the Master. They said that, but didn't treat him that way. They treated their own selves as masters because each desired to protect themselves.
Jesus said shortly thereafter "Do ye have no faith?" to the fearful. If they loved Jesus, as they said they did, he would provide the calm. They each sought to make themselves safe when only Jesus can make one safe. Their gods were themselves even with God right there in the storm with them!
When arguments ensue or crises begin, it's our nature to protect ourselves. Rather than having peace, we create our own storms. What would Jesus have us do? Be still! Don't let the storm get us agitated and riding on it's waves. Be still and have peace through Jesus.
People still don't live the life they claim. Rather than "be still" they stir the waters and create their own storms. Some people relish riding the waves and endeavoring to stand up in the barrel waves. They care little that the crest will spill over and drown them, or at least choke them with water.
For me, I desire to stand there in the shallow waters with my feet on solid ground and stay away from stormy seas. It's there that I can have peace in the stillness of the water. Why venture into the storm when safety is available. We need not fear if we stand on the solid ground.
When the storm sinks us, Satan smiles. His are the stormy seas seeking to carry each asunder, and all of them together for "what God has joined together, let no one put asunder", but the storms will do that if we don't control the storms through our Master!
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