Dealing with storms

 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.  Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.  Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”  -Mark 4

There are two kind of storms God must deal with in our lives before we recognize him, 1. the storms within, and 2. the storms without.  In this story from Mark 4 Jesus speaks to both storms...the one they could see and the one they couldn't...and calms them both.

When I read this story I love the question the disciples ask when they wake Jesus, "Don't you care?..."  It's a fascinating question in the midst of a storm, but honestly it's the same question we ask when a storm threatens to destroy our lives, "Don't you care?"

Jesus response is great!  First, he speaks to the storm they can see and then he speaks to the storm they can't...the internal storm that is threatening their faith.  Anytime God deals with storms in our lives he must deal with both the external storm and the internal one...the storm of faith.  

When both storms have been dealt with they suddenly ask the all important question, "who is this???"  It's the right response for anyone who brings their storms to God to calm.  He won't just deal with the storm we ask him to calm, but he also deals with the storm we don't see...the storm of the soul.

I'm not surprised that a storm externally will always cause a storm internally, but I am surprised we don't realize that both must be dealt with.  We want the external storm calmed, but God will not stop there, he will also deal with our hearts, the storm within.  "Where's your faith?" he will ask and as we look around at the calm he created our response will always be, "who is this?"