Peace In The Eye Of The Storm

The storm is terrible. We have been struggling against the winds and the sea for hours in our small boat. There is no sign of it letting up, and the waves are beginning to crash over our bow. We're losing the battle. I am truly frightened.

How can He sleep through all this? Can't He feel the water sloshing in the bottom of the boat? Doesn't He know how perilous our situation is? Doesn't He care? Finally, I can't stand it, so I tell John to wake Him up. John shakes Him awake and tells Him we're about to die. But the Master is not afraid. Instead, He rebukes us for our lack of faith. He turns His face into the wind and rebukes the wind and the sea. At His command, the storm ceases, and the sea is calm.

We're amazed! Who is this man that can calm the storm?

On September 11, violent aggression crashed against our homeland. Waves of darkness, anger, sorrow, and fear assaulted our sense of safety and security. The winds of hate and violence tear at us, trying to rob us of our peace and joy. As believers in Christ Jesus, what can we learn from the disciples' experience described in Matthew 8:23-27? Three questions come to mind.

*    How could Jesus sleep in the midst of the storm?

Throughout Jesus' life we find Him at peace when circumstances cast others into a sea of doubt and fear. What did He know that they didn't? He knew and believed what He had taught in the Sermon on the Mount, that we are more precious to God than all of the rest of creation. He also knew that His life on earth was truly in the Father's hands. He knew God's prophetic Word that "He will command His angels concerning You to guard You in all Your ways. They will bear You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone" (Psalm 21:11-12). Jesus could rest peacefully because He was resting in the hands of His loving Father, the hands of the God of all creation.

*    Didn't He care about their fears?

I John 4:18 tells us that "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear ... " He cared about their fears, but He cared more about their faith. In this world, we will have trouble. Do we believe that God is in control of every breath, every heartbeat, and every day of our life on earth? Romans 8:37-39 tells us that in the midst of famine, persecution, or the sword, we are more than conquerors. There is nothing in the vast universe that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!

*    Why did Jesus rebuke them for their lack of faith?

It was evening when they set out in that boat. The disciples had witnessed Jesus' miraculous healing throughout the day. Who did they think was in the boat with them? He rebuked them because their faith in Him did not extend to their immediate perilous circumstance. When we believe in Jesus Christ as God's only begotten Son, the image (exact representation) of the Father, full of grace and truth, we believe that our eternity is in His hands. Is it too much to ask that we trust Him with the troubles of this life? The reason we can walk through this life without fear is that we know the one that is in our boat, and we know the one whose boat it is.

Each of us must face our own doubts, fears, and insecurities in the midst of this storm tearing at our homeland. When we find His peace in the eye of the storm, we must lift our eyes to see those still struggling against the tempest. We must seek the ministry God has for us in our hour of national and international distress. I believe that there are three critical roles for believers and for Christian ministries as we confront this present darkness.

1. We must shine in the midst of the darkness. The greater the darkness, the more brilliant we must shine. If we only shine within the walls of our local assemblies or in our Christian camp facilities nestled in beautiful canyons or perched on lofty mountaintops, who will see? The pain and the loss of September 11 are still rippling through the lives of our friends and neighbors. We must actively demonstrate compassion, gentleness, peace, and love within our communities. Doors of opportunity for hospitality and gracious giving
are open to us now. We must actively seek for those doors and then walk through them boldly.

2. We must be places of safety and security. The families of America need to know that there are still places of beauty where they and their children can be out of harm's way. Local assemblies must reach out to individuals and families in their communities to provide the Word of Truth, spoken in love, from hearts filled with God's compassion. In Christian camps, our selection and preparation of staff, our health and safety programs, the security of our grounds and facilities, and our emergency response procedure are all critical to creating and maintaining a safe camp environment for all our guests. We must remember that camp, in order to be camp, will never be totally risk-free. But we must be both diligent and prudent in our efforts to ensure that every child or family who attends our fellowship, every camper, or guest at our camps will be safe while in our care.

3. We must be places with an answer. Peter tells us in his first epistle that we are always to be ready" ... to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." When we can rest like Jesus in the midst of the storm people will ask why. Doors of ministry opportunity will open for us in the midst of the despair and devastation caused by sinful men. Children and families will come to us whose world has been turned upside down. Lives built on the shifting sands of wealth and false expectations of peace have been shaken. We need to bring them to the Rock, the Chief Cornerstone. They need to find in Him an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast. They need to know that this anchor holds through every storm this life can throw at us. The spontaneous singing of "God Bless America" across our nation has moved many of us with hope for a true revival. I pray that they will all come to know, through Jesus Christ, the God to whom they are appealing.

*   Does the Lord still have power over the storm?

When Jesus calmed the wind and the sea, He demonstrated His authority and power over the storm. Does He have power over the winds of violence and waves of hatred assaulting us now? I believe that this storm, like the storm that terrified the disciples two thousand years ago, will test our faith. We must never forget that as believers in the Lord Jesus we are in His boat. We must rest in His peace. In the end, this storm will prove anew the demonstration of the power and love of God and an opportunity for believers to be God's loving ambassadors sharing the truth of the Gospel of God's Grace.