We do not believe in a day of miracles but in a God of miracles. What God did in days gone by, He can do for you today. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). The bible records 35 miracles of Jesus, but he did more than 35. John 21:25 says, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” As we begin a new series on the God of miracles, we will look at Mark 4 and a miracle Jesus performed on the Sea of Galilee. This is the first of a series of historical accounts that show Jesus as a miracle worker. Everyone is either going in a storm, in the middle of a storm, or coming out of a storm. It may be a storm you did not choose and you can’t control. Storms and impossibilities teach us three important lessons.
God’s Will
In Mark 4:36-37 we read, “So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.” Notice, the disciples are in the storm not because they are out of the will of God, but because they are in God’s will. Just because you are a Christian does not mean you are exempt from having storms in your life. Verse 38 tells us Jesus was asleep while this storm came up. The disciples were in a storm and Jesus was snoring! He was human! When his humanity is asleep His deity is still awake. God never sleeps of slumbers. Jesus says, “‘Because I’m a man, I know how you feel. But because I’m God, I can do something with it.” The disciples were faced with a physical storm (wind and waves around them), emotional storm (they were afraid), and a spiritual storm (they questioned whether Jesus cared). Storms can affect your faith! Storms can cause you to question if Jesus cares about what you are going through. We don’t know why God allowed the storm, but there are things we learn in the storm that we cannot learn on the safety of the shore. C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers in our pleasures but shouts in our pain.” Let your storms drive you to Jesus. He cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7)!
God’s Word
The miracles of Jesus are given to us with careful accuracy and detail. In this story, we know it was evening, there were other boats, Jesus was sleeping on a cushion, etc. You can trust the Bible. Jesus speaks before the storm. Jesus speaks during the storm. He speaks after the storm. In verse 35, Jesus told the disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side….” They forgot he said “we”! We get so caught up with WHAT is going on around us, we forget WHO is still with us. The WHO is more important, more powerful than the WHAT. Jesus has given us His word that He will never leave us or forsake us. When you are tempted to ask WHY and WHAT, focus on the WHO. All you need is a word from God. One word. Let Jesus speak to your situation. Don’t listen to the storms. Listen to the Savior. Psalm 107:29 says, “He stilled the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.”
God’s World
“He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Silence! Be Still!’ The wind ceased, and there was great calm” (v. 39). The Creator can handle the creation! Jesus is 100% man and 100% God. He slept to show us His humanity. He speaks to show us His deity. He did not say to the storm, “Please stop.” He shushes the storm. He has complete control over it. If Jesus can fix the storm, can’t He fix your situation? There is no problem that Jesus cannot solve and no sin He cannot forgive. Remember the miraculous power of God. Remember God’s faithfulness. In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Here, Jesus said, “Peace be still,” and it was still.
If you are in a storm, remember that if you are with Jesus, obeying Him, you are right where God wants you to be. God’s Word is powerful and true, and He can speak to any situation. Focus on Him and not the storm around you. He has complete control over all the world and you can trust Him!
