Calm In The Storm

Kenneth was intelligent, a family man who took his responsibilities seriously. He inherited a love for the outdoors. His grandfather homesteaded in OK before statehood, living in a dugout on the prairie for a time. Kenneth grew up at that farm. He enjoyed being outside farming, ranching, hunting, and fishing. Jesus and His disciples were “outdoorsmen,” too. Jesus was a builder as well as a rabbi. Many of His disciples were fishermen and knew a challenging life.

I want to use an incident in Jesus’ life to discuss your grief storm and our need for the Lord.

• When my wife died a few years ago, a friend of mine told me that grief was a friend to us.

• We don’t have a mechanism to deal with grief because we were not made to die.

o So we have to deal with it the best we can.

o We try friendship support and activities. We try therapy.

o Grief leads us to our Savior, who saves us from sin and prevents sorrow from overwhelming us.

• Christian grief is different than non-Christian grief. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NLT)

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

Mark 4:35-41 (NKJV)

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now, when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

There are some lessons about times like this.

Jesus Went with The Disciples in Multiple Boats. (35-36)

• Set out in the darkness.

• They went in a group – safety in numbers. Were His disciples spread through the fleet or in His?

A Great Storm Arose on the Sea of Galilee. (37) – We have storms too.

• Not because they were disobedient or had done something wrong.

• They obeyed Christ and crossed the lake.

• Challenges come to us as a normal part of life and/or an opportunity for God to develop our character. (James 1:2-3 – count it joy)

When We Run Out of Resources, We Turn to the Lord. (38-39)

• Woke Him up – “Don’t you care?” Not, “We know you can help in this.”

• They ran out of options. Their skills were not keeping them afloat.

• When Kenneth was in ICU and then died, did you want to cry out to God and ask if He cared?

• Our head knows but our heart cries out. So, grief leads us back to God and His word.

Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV)

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

The Real Lessons. (40-41) 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

• God cares and can help us in our storms and trials. He doesn’t necessarily remove them. [“I may not face Goliath, but I’ve got my own giants.”

• Jesus molded their character when He silenced the storm. “And they feared exceedingly. … Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

God is more interested in our character than our comfort. Jesus went with them, “just as He was,” and wants us to believe in Him just as He is – Lord and Savior.

This story and all of our stories can reveal the supremacy of Jesus, the Creator of all things. He can calm the storms and renew our purpose.

In every storm, trial, or life challenge, we can invite Jesus in His authority into our problem.