If there is something that 2020 has shown us is chaos and tempest. Before even the year settled on its feet, a worldwide pandemic struck the world and of colossal proportion because it has affected every fabric of our day to day living. We started to see wave after wave of mass infections and death, business that once thrived were brought to their knees, airlines were cut off from business, hotel industry almost became nonexistent as well as the massive global tourism and so much.
The chaos even so much was felt by families, communities,
employers to employees; life has generally been turned upside down. Talking
about chaos, this is not the first time we are facing a global pandemic. Who remembers
the swine flu, SARS, Ebola and the great Spanish flu of the 1900?
These kind of occurrences can be likened to a mighty tempest,
or a storm that shipwrecks any vessel on its sight. Scientists estimate that
some of these winds causing the mighty typhoons and hurricanes travel up to a
speed of 200km per hour. That’s not anything near a snail velocity.
These are just physical expressions of how chaotic a tempest
or a storm can be. What of chaos and storm that can ravage a human heart
because the peace in it has been disturbed?
Let’s delve into scripture.
Mark 4 :37-39And
a great storm of wind came up, and the waves came into the boat, so that the
boat was now becoming full.
Mar
4:38 And he himself was in the back of the boat, sleeping on the cushion:
and they, awaking him, said, Master, is it nothing to you that we are in danger
of destruction?
Mar 4:39 And he came out of his sleep, and gave strong orders to
the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be at rest. And the wind went down, and
there was a great calm (BBE-Bible in basic English)
Great storm of wind can rock the boat of your life. What do you do when
your life has suddenly been unsettled by strong wind causing storms of epic
proportions in your life, because you see whether you like it or not if you are
in the sea which is this world you’re likely to face storms which come to
disrupt your life.
In the scenario in the passage above, Jesus and the disciples were
about to board their boat to cross the sea of Galilee to the other side of the
shore. Jesus had just delivered some powerful teachings about the kingdom of
God by the sea side and had ordered the disciples to get into the boat to sail
to the other side but strong winds came up and waves came into the boat and Jesus
slept soundly right in the thick of things! Astonishing!
This scenario can be likened to the storms we face of life, it could be
storms of loss like that which faced job or storms of conspiracy and battle like
that which came into David’s life before he became the king of Israel. It could
be storms of diseases plaguing your body or a mixture of storms threatening to
topple the vessel of your life. What encouragements can we draw from the
passage above?
1.
Its Jesus who said “Let’s get to the other side”
Every storm has the other side. Every journey has a before and after. Jesus has
promised to carry us safe to the other side. Is there anything too hard for
him? Isn’t it he who started it? He shall surely transport you safely to the
other side.
2.
He is asleep in your boat. Not unconcerned but
rested…. And he himself was on the back of the boat sleeping on a cushion. You
see you are the one perturbed by the waves not Jesus. Why have you forgotten his
mighty works by the seaside shore so quickly? Hasn’t he performed for you
before? Why should he fail you now? Why should you wail as if the master has
vacated your life and left you to your own defenses?
3.
… And
he came out of his sleep, and gave strong orders to the wind, and said to the
sea, Peace, be at rest. And the wind went down, and there was a great calm.
Like a starring
in a blockbuster movie who never dies, Jesus will always come with mighty acts
of deliverance. He arose from his comfort and lambasted the chaos disturbing
the disciples by giving strong orders to the wind and spoke to the sea peace.
Notice that he didn’t rebuke the sea because there is nothing wrong with the
sea, it’s just that its peace has been disturbed.
There is
nothing wrong with you, it’s just that your peace has been disturbed. Thanks be
to our God who always performs his mighty acts off deliverance on our behalf.
What is the
chaos and storms of your life? Do you know that Christ has promised to
transport you to the other side of your destiny? Do you know that he is there
with you right in the thick of things? Have you tasted of his mighty works of
deliverance? What about hanging in there a bit more?
