Day 47 – Issue 39

Be Still Know

Matthew 8.26 NLT

Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

The Sea of Galilee is not large. It is about 13 miles from north to south and only about 8 miles at its widest point from east to west. Its location in the Jordan Rift Valley means that winds can quickly build up, and there are many accounts of violent storms on the lake. One might have thought that Jesus’ disciples, many of whom were experienced fishermen, would have taken such a storm in their stride but no, on this particular occasion they were terrified. They thought they might die and in their terror they cried out to Jesus to save them. Jesus was fast asleep but woke up to respond to their cries. He was appalled by their lack of faith, but duly rebuked the wind and the waves. The disciples were amazed by Jesus. They clearly still had a lot to learn about the kind of authority that he had.

It isn’t only on the Sea of Galilee that violent storms can quickly blow up. They happen in life, time and again. Perhaps an accident, a financial disaster, an illness or a relationship difficulty springs up and everything looks completely different. In those moments what we need more than anything else is the one thing that the disciples lacked. We need faith. We need confidence that Jesus is in control and that, although he might seem to be asleep, he is the one who can bring us through the storm and give us his peace.

Whilst I was writing this one of the readers of these notes wrote to me and I am sharing this with her permission. Her husband left her last year and she spoke of the way in which reading “Be Still and Know” had helped her. She wrote that through this incredibly difficult year she has experienced God providing for her and enabling her to experience “His peace like I’ve never had before that all will be well and His hope for a new future according to His will and purpose and in His time.” I’m so grateful for her testimony and I am sure that it will ring true for many of you. The Lord never promised us an easy life, but he does promise to be our peace whatever storm we might face.

QUESTION: What have you discovered of Jesus’ peace in the storms of your life?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you are our peace, however big the storms of life might be. Amen

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