“Peace! Be Still!” Read those words again and say them out loud as you do. “Peace! Be Still!”
You may know the story from where these words come, but in case you don’t, Jesus spoke these words when He was trying to calm the nerves of His disciples. The story is found in Mark 4:35-41. The simple version goes like this. Jesus was crossing the sea with his disciples in a boat, and He decided to take a nap. While He was sleeping, a storm came up, and the wind and waves made the disciples fearful and worried. They woke Jesus because they thought they were going to die. Then Jesus stood up and said, “Peace! Be Still!” to the wind and waves! Then all was quiet and calm, and the disciples were amazed that the wind and waves obeyed Him.
As I read this passage recently during my quiet time, the thing that jumped out to me wasn’t Jesus' amazing power over the wind and waves. The thing that jumped out to me was that Jesus could sleep through a storm! I find that impressive. I’m a very light sleeper. I don’t think I could have rested well enough to take a nap in a storm that is bad enough to make you think you’re not going to survive!
Here is an interesting and worthy observation: the passage says a “windstorm arose and the waves were breaking over the boat,” and the disciples were “amazed because wind and waves obeyed Him”…hmmmmm, I'm thinking…not a coincidence! Jesus was in full command the whole time! There was purpose in the storm!
Isaiah 9:6 tells us that one of the names of Jesus is “Prince of Peace.” Clearly we see the name and character of Jesus on display in this story. In the midst of the storm, He is able to be asleep because He is the Prince of Peace! He commands the wind and waves, not once, but twice, to be silent! He is commanding peace because He is Peace! (Eph. 2:14).
What wind and waves are you currently experiencing that make you wonder if Jesus cares or if He is asleep somewhere?
This summer as you ‘get away’ on vacation, remember that peace is not the absence of conflict or tension. Peace is not your presence under an umbrella on a beach, as nice and relaxing as that is. Peace is the presence of Jesus resting ‘in the boat’ of your heart and mind!
Say it again slowly…“Peace! Be Still!”