Looking over my notes on last Sunday’s message, I see a sentence, I don’t remember if it was something said during the message or my response to the message but it struck me, “Jesus, calm the storm in me.” When we are overwhelmed with the storm of life, it can be exceedingly painful. It can cause us to to be paralyzed with fear. But with Christ in our life, directing us, guiding us, His Holy Spirit filling us, that raging storm on the outside can be on the inside as calm as a mirror-like lake.
Psalm 107 has several story arcs of people who find themselves overwhelmed by problems, a couple self-inflicted. In each, they set out the example of what we should do when overwhelmed, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.” That reminds me of the story of the disciples out on the Sea of Galilee sailing. Jesus, being, uhm, Jesus, laid down and slept, without a worry. The disciples on the other hand found themselves in the middle of a terrible storm. They feared that they would capsize and die so they woke Jesus up, I bet in total amazement that he could sleep in all that craziness. He was amazed that they were worried, after all he was with them. So he looks around at the overwhelming storm and speaks–well, if a strong rebuke can be considered speaking–to the storm and it dissipates, all was calm.
God is the Almighty, Great Provider, ruler over all the universe. Storms, be they in nature, caused by people, or raging in our souls, He can easily calm them all. But we have to ask and release everything to Him. Jesus calls us to lay down our burdens, take up his calling, learn from Him and we will find rest. “Jesus, calm the storm in me.”
Write a prayer asking God to calm the storm in you, one that you might find easy to remember whenever a storm tries to overwhelm you.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Psalm 107:28-31
