Mark 4:35-39 [35] And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. [36] And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. [37] And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. [38] And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? [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.
Here is a beautiful passage that tells us a story about Jesus calming the Sea of Galilee.
Now on the surface, the story if of great significance to us… you see, here are the disciples – and they were being obedient to Jesus completely. Only in their obedience, they came to storms.
For us, we may often find ourselves in the same exact situation. We follow what he says, and the storms come. What I find is that this seems to happen to everyone! You see, the more I strive to do right, the more the storms and trials come my way. The more I obey, the more it seems that things go wrong. That is just a part of life.
That brings the question: what did the disciples do when they came to this point? Well, the obvious answer is they went to Jesus. What did Jesus do about it? He calmed the storm.
They experienced peace as soon as they went to Jesus.
For us, this again is a great lesson – peace only comes from Jesus. You recall, John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” That is the only real source of peace that we can have!
But the title of this thought is not “how do I get peace?” The Title is “Why we must find peace.” The answer is actually found in the text passage itself. Notice again Mark 4:36 – And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
That last sentence is important to note – you see there were with them on the Sea of Galilee “OTHER LITTLE SHIPS”.
These ships were in the same storm. They experienced the same waves. They had the same problems. But for them, there was one thing, one person who was not present in their boat – and that was Jesus.
But when the disciples went to Jesus and they received peace, we find that the sea was calm for ALL the ships.
Now here is the application – when I am in turmoil or in tribulation, my family goes through that difficulty too. We often think about Job and all that he went through – but we often forget that Job’s wife endured all those same trials too. We think about the load that Jesus carried to the cross, but we forget what his mother endured watching as her innocent Son was both betrayed, beaten and crucified. You see – when one person is going through the troubles and trials, it affects their family. It affects their business. It affects their co-workers. It affects their church. But when that one who has been in trouble finds the peace of God – that wonderful peace that passes all understanding – all the sudden those that my trial affected now experience that peace too, and those that don’t have Jesus, they get to see how His Help carries the child of God through the trials and troubles of life!
I challenge you – as you face the troubles and trials – find the peace of God. How? Well – by going to Jesus (John 14:27) ; by yielding to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to bear fruit in your life (Galatians 5:22-23); by falling in love with God’s Word (Psalm 119:165). Find peace so that you can help others to make it through their storms.
Lighthouse Baptist Church 