“Peace be still” – Jesus
by on September 01, 2008
Jesus was no stranger to wind and waves. In fact, most of his ministry took place along the perimeter of the sea of Galilee in towns like Tiberius and Tabgha. This was the Savior’s stomping grounds and from time to time storms would erupt on the lake.
Once Jesus and his disciples were crossing from the east side of the lake to the west and a great storm threatened to break their first century wooden boat to pieces. The disciples were all in a tizzy, yet Christ was getting some shut eye. How odd–the God whose eye is on the sparrow takes a snooze when the disciples thought they needed him most! But what the disciples didn’t know is that the guy sleeping in their boat had created the water. He had created the wind. He was the one who fastened the hydrogen molecules to the oxygen molecules and showed it how to behave. The God who created the lake could certainly calm it whenever he wants to, and that’s exactly what happened. “Peace, be still,” Christ said, looking out over the waves. What choice did the water have? It had to behave itself. And the disciples discovered that day that Christ was sovereign over his creation.
As Hurricane Gustav bedraggles the city of New Orleans, the city I have come to love, I think about the gentle yet powerful words of Christ, “Peace, be still.”
For some reason, God does not calm every storm. He does not dissipate every hurricane. One day, sure. But not yet. Perhaps his peace is aimed at his people. “Christian, peace be still.” “Rebecca, peace be still.” “Peace be still because even in the storm I will manifest my grace to you. Stop trusting in yourself, in your levees, in your abilities. Start depending on what you can’t see, what you can’t build. Because even when the winds and water try to wash you away, I am your rock upon which you can stand. Your city might be destroyed, but you belong to another city. Your possessions might be waterlogged, but I have heavenly treasures for you beyond your wildest dreams.”
“Peace, be still.”