Calm the Raging Sea

“The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, ‘What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?’” (Jonah 1:11)

Most of us have heard the story of Jonah many times over. The big fish swallowed him up and spit him out on dry ground three days later. Those of us living with chronic illness can identify with Jonah in more ways than one. But the question of those on the ship with him speaks to us.

How many times have we looked toward heaven with tears in our eyes, crying out, “What do You want me to do to make the raging sea calm down?” And, that’s exactly what chronic illness feels like -- a raging sea that refuses to grow still.

Jesus’ disciples were in a similar situation while He slept below the deck of the ship carrying them to the other side of the sea. Responding to their cries for help, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be Still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4:39) The ship remained in the water, but Jesus calmed the wind and the waves.

Don‘t hold back--cry out and ask the Lord to calm the raging of your seas. He may appear to be sleeping through your storm, but He hears our cries and He moves according to His will. He may not remove us from the midst of the “sea”, but He will calm the waves pounding against us. All we have to do is call on the name of Jesus. He will speak into our storms and say to the waves assaulting us, “Quiet! Be Still!”

He’s not asleep … He hears your cry. “Quiet! Be Still!” He’s speaking peace into our lives--peace that comes through faith.

Lord, teach us to turn to You in the midst of our storms for You are the great “Peace-Speaker”. Amen.

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(c) Jan Ross
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