There Will Be Storms

Scripture Reading: Mark 4:35-41

Focus Verse: Mark 4:38  “Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion.  The disciples woke him up, shouting, Teacher, don’t you care that we are going to drown?”

Storms are a part of life.  But I must admit to you that I’m seeing things in the world that are quite shocking.  Today I’m watching the news that Russia is attacking Ukraine by military force.  There have been over 130 Ukrainians killed so far today.  We are watching as food and petrol prices are going up very fast.  We are just starting to come out of the worst pandemic that world has known for over 100 years.  

We all go through storms in our lives.  Some storms are worse than others.  I heard a pastor say “we are either in a storm, or coming out of a storm, or heading for the next storm.”  The disciples were in a very bad storm because they felt as though they were going to drown.  But Jesus was at the back of the boat asleep.  Even though Jesus was asleep, He still knew exactly what was going on because He was God.  I also find it interesting that the storm didn’t wake Jesus, but the cry from the disciples did.  They cried, “Don’t you care that we are going to drown?  My pastor friend Greg Laurie puts it this way.  “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.”  When Jesus awoke He rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “peace be still."  And suddenly the wind stopped and there was a great calm.

When you pray does it ever seem as though God is asleep?  It seems that way for me sometimes.  I think to myself God are you listening to me?  Maybe you’re in the middle of a storm right now.  Maybe you have a sick child, or maybe you have difficulties in your marriage,  or maybe things are not going well at your job.  We all go through hardships, difficulties, and tragedies at times.  And we cry out to the Lord just as those disciples did.  

God knows what is happening in Ukraine tonight.  Sometimes when we call on the Lord He stops the storm, and other times He wants to walk with us through the storm.  But you can take comfort in knowing that storms don’t last forever.  Just remember, God said “I will never leave you or forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6  and "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries