Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Peace Be Still

The men had a healthy respect for the water, for they were fisherman by trade! They knew how quickly even a sturdy sea worthy vessel could get completely out of control in a storm. Every time they took their boats out, they inspected the surface for holes and weak spots. Even so, the unexpected can and will occur. So it was on the day Jesus went out into the boat with his friends, many of whom were fishermen. Jesus went down into the bottom of the boat, for He knew in Whom He had placed His trust, and it was not the men who were experts at sailing, His closest friends on earth.
While He was asleep, the wind and the waves became violent, and even the seasoned fishermen became afraid. Did they not know more about sailing than their teacher, Jesus, the Carpenter's son? Yet, the first thing they did was awaken Him! Why? Because they knew the voice of their Master could quiet the most dangerous storm. "Peace be Still!"

What do we do when storms rage within our lives? Do we imagine ourselves competent against the giant waves that assault us? Do we long to take care of troubles ourselves, and lay our accomplishments at the feet of Jesus? Sometimes it is as if we are saying, "See there....I don't need Your help. Help those who need You." Why do we treat our Savior like that? We need Him, not only to quiet the hurricanes that threaten to demolish our lives, but we need Him for our every breath! We may be able to ride the waves for a while "unassisted", or at least think we are. But soon we will find ourselves broken against the rocks on the shores of life itself....without hope. How much better our lives would be if we would go to Our Savior in our moments of need, let Him wrap His arms around us, protect us from the wind and the waves, and say to our weary souls, "Peace be Still!"