Day 13 — Even the Wind Obeys

“Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. ‘Silence!’ He commanded. ‘Be still!’ And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. ‘Why are you so afraid?’ He asked. ‘Do you still have no faith?’ Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, ‘Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’”

— Mark 4:39–41 (BSB)

It had been a long day of teaching. That evening, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side” of the lake. So they got into a boat and set off.

Then a violent windstorm came up. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills, and sudden storms can sweep down on it without warning. Huge waves crashed over the sides of the boat. Water poured in. Some of the disciples were experienced fishermen, and even they were terrified. They were sure they were going to drown.

And where was Jesus? He was in the back of the boat, sound asleep on a cushion.

The disciples woke Him up and shouted, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”

Jesus got up. He spoke to the wind and the waves the way you might speak to a barking dog: “Silence! Be still!” And instantly, the wind stopped. The waves flattened out. Everything was perfectly calm.

Then Jesus turned to His disciples and asked, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples were even more amazed now than they had been scared before. They asked each other, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

That’s the big question, isn’t it? Only God controls the weather. Only the Creator can tell the sea what to do. This story shows us that Jesus is God.

It also shows us something about storms in our lives. Following Jesus doesn’t mean you’ll never face storms. The disciples were in the boat because they obeyed Jesus, and the storm still came. You might face storms too: a scary diagnosis, a family problem, a friendship falling apart.

But remember who was in the boat with them. When Jesus is in your boat, the storm can’t win. He might calm the storm around you. Or He might calm the storm inside you. Either way, He is in control.

Think about it: What “storm” in your life right now do you need to trust Jesus with?

Try this: The next time you feel afraid, remember the question the disciples asked: “Who is this?” Then answer it: “Jesus is the one even the wind obeys.”

Dear Jesus, You are so powerful that even the wind and the waves obey You. When storms come in my life, help me not to panic, but to trust You. Thank You that You are always in my boat. In Your name, Amen.