Waves crashed against the wooden hull, water sloshing over the sides as the small fishing boat pitched violently in the darkness. The disciples—experienced fishermen who had weathered countless storms on this very lake—found themselves overwhelmed as fear gripped their hearts.
And there He was, somehow sleeping through it all.
"Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" they shouted, waking Him.
Mark 4:39-40 tells us what happened next: "He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?'"
This moment on the Sea of Galilee reveals something essential about who Jesus is—the One whose voice commands even the most chaotic elements of creation. The same voice that spoke stars into existence speaks peace into our storms.
I've never been caught in a life-threatening storm on the water, but I know what it feels like when circumstances swirl out of control. When anxiety rises like waves threatening to capsize everything stable in my life. When the wind of uncertainty howls so loudly I can hardly think straight.
Maybe you know that feeling too.
What strikes me about this story isn't just that Jesus calmed the external storm, but that He addressed the internal one first. "Why are you so afraid?" He asked. Before fixing their circumstances, He pointed to what was happening in their hearts.
The disciples had Jesus physically present in their boat, yet fear still overtook them. How often do I do the same? How quickly do I forget who travels with me through life's storms?
Fear has a way of drowning out truth. It narrows our vision until all we can see are the waves, the wind, the water filling our boat. We forget who we have with us. We forget whose voice has authority over every element of creation—including the storms in our minds.
The point of this story isn't to never feel afraid. It's to recognize that fear doesn't have to have the final word. There's another voice—one that speaks with authority, with clarity, with power beyond our understanding.
When the noise of life grows overwhelming, when circumstances feel unmanageable, when the future seems dark and threatening—His voice remains. Quiet. Be still.
These words weren't just for wind and waves. They're for anxious hearts and racing thoughts. For relationships in turmoil and futures filled with uncertainty.
What storm are you facing today? What winds are howling around you, within you? Can you hear His voice cutting through the noise?
Sometimes we need to be reminded who's in our boat. The One who speaks peace isn't distant or disconnected from our struggles. He's right there in the middle of them. Not immune to the spray of the waves, but unshaken by them.
Faith isn't the absence of storms. It's the presence of Jesus in the midst of them. It's the confidence that His voice still holds authority over everything that threatens to overwhelm us.
May you hear that voice of calm authority. May you remember who travels with you. And may you find that even when the wind and waves haven't yet subsided, His presence brings a peace that surpasses understanding.