Peace, Be Still

by Katy Kauffman

“Lord, don’t You care?” The disciples woke Jesus up. A storm had engulfed them on the Sea of Galilee. Waves beat hard on them, filling the boat. They were going to sink. “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38 NKJV). In the midst of the raging storm, the disciples were afraid they were going to die, and there Jesus was, sleeping.

Jesus got up and commanded the wind, “Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:39 NKJV). The wind ceased, and He turned to the disciples and asked, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40 NKJV). They had seen Him heal people, cast out demons, and teach with power. But they didn’t connect His power to their present storm. Do we?

When the Lord has done something in our lives—answered a prayer, given us comfort, or provided what we needed—do we connect His power to our present storm? Do we remember He cares?

In the pages of Scripture, we see how Jesus treated people and how He helped them. Based on what He did then and what He is doing today, it’s like He says to us:

• I see your blindness, and I give you light.
• I see your crippled heart, and I give you wholeness.
• I see your chaos, and I give you peace.
• I see your uncertainty, and I give you guidance.

Light, healing, peace, and guidance. Wisdom, joy, and hope. Jesus sees what we need, and He is able to provide it.

As our relationship with the Lord grows stronger, we develop a history with Him, and we see how He takes care of us. So when the next storm comes, we don’t have to wonder if He cares. We can be certain He does, and we can turn that doubt into a declaration—”Lord, I care about what You want to do in this storm. Please calm my heart, and show me what to do.”

Don’t let a storm hold you captive in fear. Jesus is always with us in our storms, and He cares about what we’re going through. Ask Him for help. Pray for His peace and guidance to calm your heart. Remember Who is in the boat with you. He never leaves us (Hebrews 13:5), and He is more powerful than any storm we face. He gives us the power to handle our challenges and trials (Psalm 147:5; Psalm 68:35; Isaiah 40:29; Philippians 4:13). What peace and relief!

May the words and power of Jesus calm your heart in the storms of life. In your darkest and most treacherous nights, may you hear Him say: “Peace, be still!”