Peace, Be Still

Growing Daily

Peace, Be Still

I awoke to howling winds and pelting rain.  The walls shuddered as Tropical Storm Henri bore directly down on our little town of Westerly.  But then something truly amazing happened…

The wind stopped.

All was quiet.   

Bright rays of sunshine pierced the angry sky, revealing a heavenly blue expanse with puffy white clouds.   We experienced the eye of the storm.  Complete peace amidst the fury.  

2,000 years ago, the disciples found themselves in a storm of their own. A violent squall threatened to sink their boat and they feared for their lives (Matthew 8:25).  They woke Jesus, who was somehow sleeping through the uproar. He only needed a few words to transform the situation, “Peace… be still” (Mark 4:39, KJV).

Instantly, the wind stopped. 

All was quiet. 

In the middle of a storm, it’s easy to see the waves and forget who’s in the boat with us. The disciples were literally in a vessel with the Son of God, yet at that moment they feared the storm more than they trusted Him (Matthew 8:26).

They surely wondered how Jesus could sleep during the storm. But perhaps that’s part of the lesson — He was at total peace while the storm raged around Him.  Nothing takes Him by surprise or rocks His boat.

God offers us that same peace. And Isaiah 43:2 reassures us, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”

Our focus shouldn’t be on how big the storms are, but how big God is.

Peace, be still.


- Ron Reid