I had woken up to a horrific storm. Wind howling. Sheets of rain. Booming thunder.

The storm outside passed, but I couldn’t sleep. Another storm, the one affecting us all, the condition of our world, was on my mind.

In Luke 8, Jesus is exhausted from his busy ministry. He tells his disciples to get in a boat to cross the lake to the other side.

This is no small lake, but the Sea of Galilee. It’s probably about five miles across, at the point they were crossing, and known for violent storms.

Many of the disciples were experienced fisherman, but the storm that blew up that day, terrified even them.

And Jesus lay sleeping while the boat is tossed by the storm.

How exhausted his, fully human, body must have been.

The boat begins to fill with water and the disciples wake Jesus up saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” (v 24)

The book of Mark tells us this is not all they said.

The disciples, who had just seen Jesus cast out demons, heal the sick, cleanse the leper, and raise the dead, ask the Savior, “Teacher, do you care not that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38)

Jesus merely says, “Peace be still” and creation immediately submits to His voice. (Mark 4:39)

The rain stops.
The wind ceases.
Silence.
Sudden stillness.

But then, the Savior speaks words that surely pierced their souls.

The One whom creation obeyed, looks at them and says, “Where is your faith?”(Luke 8:25)

And I hear Him asking me the same question right now, “Where is your faith??”

In the storms that come our way, where is our faith?

In scary days, do we look to our government, our finances, our human relationships to save us?

If so, we’ve misplaced our faith.

Certainly, God uses others to be His instruments of help to us, but creation obeys only One Voice.

Time is in His Hands. (Psalm 31:15)

Every breath, you’ll every breathe, is given to you by Him. (Acts 17:25)

He is our provider and sustainer. He gives wisdom. He knows what we need before we ever ask. (Matt 6:8)

He goes before us in every day we will ever live. (Deut 31:8, Psalm 139:16)

He, alone, can bring good from hard things. (Rom 8:28)

He tells us, He will never leave us or forsake us. (Heb 13:5)

In this world, we will have trouble; but those troubles will, every one, one day cease. (John 16:33)

This life is merely a dot at the beginning of the infinite line of eternity.

But until then, God gives us peace.

That same peace that calmed the storm, is the same peace that calms us!

Jesus tells us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

But don’t miss the verse right before this in John. This is how our peace will come, this is how God calms the storms in us—

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

As we READ the Word and REMEMBER what God as told us, as we train our ears to the Holy Spirit reminding us, and OBEY, we will find peace!

(Yes, obedience is part of peace) “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father who sent me.” (John 14:24)

Stop listening to the foolishness of this lost crazy world and trust that God’s ways our better.

God with us! Peace! Peace even in the very midst of the storms!

Oh friend, look up! Remember where your true help comes from!

He has you! He has all that concerns you! You can trust Him no matter what storms this day may bring.

Oh, where is our faith?

Jesus! Only Jesus!

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