Finding Peace in the Storm: When Chaos Threatens to Overwhelm
The second candle of Advent represents peace—a concept that feels almost foreign in our chaotic world. We long for peace in our relationships, our circumstances, our hearts. Yet life has a way of shifting from calm to chaos in mere moments. One phone call, one diagnosis, one unexpected loss, and suddenly the peaceful waters we've been sailing become a raging sea.
This is exactly where we find the disciples in Mark chapter 4, verses 35-41, caught in a storm they never saw coming.
This is exactly where we find the disciples in Mark chapter 4, verses 35-41, caught in a storm they never saw coming.
Obedience Doesn't Exempt Us From Storms
The disciples weren't doing anything wrong when the storm hit. They were simply obeying Jesus' direct command: "Let us go over to the other side." They were following instructions, doing exactly what they were supposed to do. Yet obedience didn't spare them from the furious squall that threatened to swamp their boat.
This is a crucial truth we often miss: being close to Jesus doesn't mean we'll never face storms. The Sea of Galilee was notorious for sudden, violent storms. Sitting 700 feet below sea level and surrounded by mountains, it created a wind tunnel effect that could produce unexpected and dangerous weather. These seasoned fishermen knew this sea intimately, yet this particular storm caught even them off guard.
The waves crashed over the boat. Water filled the hull. These weren't men prone to panic—they made their living on these waters—but now they genuinely believed they were about to die.
And Jesus? He was asleep on a cushion in the stern.
This is a crucial truth we often miss: being close to Jesus doesn't mean we'll never face storms. The Sea of Galilee was notorious for sudden, violent storms. Sitting 700 feet below sea level and surrounded by mountains, it created a wind tunnel effect that could produce unexpected and dangerous weather. These seasoned fishermen knew this sea intimately, yet this particular storm caught even them off guard.
The waves crashed over the boat. Water filled the hull. These weren't men prone to panic—they made their living on these waters—but now they genuinely believed they were about to die.
And Jesus? He was asleep on a cushion in the stern.
The Peace That Rests in the Storm
Think about what it means that Jesus could sleep through such a violent storm. This wasn't a gentle rocking that lulled Him to sleep. The boat was being swamped. The wind was howling. The disciples were frantically bailing water and fighting to keep the vessel afloat.
Yet Jesus rested.
His peace wasn't based on His circumstances. It was rooted in His complete trust in the Father. He knew He was in His Father's care, and that knowledge brought rest even in chaos.
Don't we wish we could respond that way? Instead, when storms hit our lives, we pace the deck. We panic. We might not call it fear—we use softer words like anxiety, stress, worry, or frustration. But underneath those emotions often lies fear: fear of the unknown, fear of losing control, fear of what others will think, fear of how we'll survive.
Yet Jesus rested.
His peace wasn't based on His circumstances. It was rooted in His complete trust in the Father. He knew He was in His Father's care, and that knowledge brought rest even in chaos.
Don't we wish we could respond that way? Instead, when storms hit our lives, we pace the deck. We panic. We might not call it fear—we use softer words like anxiety, stress, worry, or frustration. But underneath those emotions often lies fear: fear of the unknown, fear of losing control, fear of what others will think, fear of how we'll survive.
The Most Honest Question in Scripture
Finally, the disciples couldn't take it anymore. They woke Jesus with one of the most brutally honest questions in all of Scripture: "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
How often do we ask God the same thing when life falls apart? "God, where are you? Do you even love me? If you cared about me, you wouldn't let this happen." We pray for hedges of protection and expect smooth sailing as proof of God's love.
But Jesus never promised us storm-free lives.
When the disciples woke Him, Jesus wasn't careless or indifferent. He was confident. He stood and spoke to the wind and waves with authority: "Peace, be still."
Immediately, the wind ceased. The sea became completely calm.
How often do we ask God the same thing when life falls apart? "God, where are you? Do you even love me? If you cared about me, you wouldn't let this happen." We pray for hedges of protection and expect smooth sailing as proof of God's love.
But Jesus never promised us storm-free lives.
When the disciples woke Him, Jesus wasn't careless or indifferent. He was confident. He stood and spoke to the wind and waves with authority: "Peace, be still."
Immediately, the wind ceased. The sea became completely calm.
The Voice That Speaks to Chaos
The same voice that spoke creation into existence now spoke to chaos, and chaos had to obey. The language Mark uses here is the same language used when Jesus rebukes demons—as if the storm itself was under the influence of evil meant to shake their faith.
But here's what we often miss: Jesus wasn't just speaking to the wind and waves. He was speaking to every fearful heart in that boat. His words of peace weren't only for the elements; they were for the disciples' anxiety, panic, and terror.
After calming the storm, Jesus turned to His disciples with a penetrating question: "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
At first, this seems harsh. They were in a real storm with a rational fear of dying. But Jesus wasn't scolding them for being afraid. He was inviting them to shift their focus from the size of the storm to the size of their trust.
They had seen His power. They had heard His teaching. They had witnessed His miracles. Yet when the storm came, their faith was replaced by fear.
We can't judge them too harshly. We do the same thing. We trust God when waters are calm, but when winds blow and waves crash, we panic.
But here's what we often miss: Jesus wasn't just speaking to the wind and waves. He was speaking to every fearful heart in that boat. His words of peace weren't only for the elements; they were for the disciples' anxiety, panic, and terror.
After calming the storm, Jesus turned to His disciples with a penetrating question: "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
At first, this seems harsh. They were in a real storm with a rational fear of dying. But Jesus wasn't scolding them for being afraid. He was inviting them to shift their focus from the size of the storm to the size of their trust.
They had seen His power. They had heard His teaching. They had witnessed His miracles. Yet when the storm came, their faith was replaced by fear.
We can't judge them too harshly. We do the same thing. We trust God when waters are calm, but when winds blow and waves crash, we panic.
From Terror to Wonder
After Jesus calmed the storm, the text says the disciples "feared a great fear"—but this was a different kind of fear. Their terror transformed into awe. Their panic turned to worship. They asked each other, "Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
This is what happens when we truly encounter the Prince of Peace. We move from focusing on our circumstances to focusing on the One who has authority over all circumstances.
This is what happens when we truly encounter the Prince of Peace. We move from focusing on our circumstances to focusing on the One who has authority over all circumstances.
Peace in the Presence, Not the Absence
The disciples wanted what we all want: calm circumstances. But Jesus wanted something deeper—He wanted their faith to grow. He wants the same for us.
We spend so much time praying for God to change our situations when He's more interested in changing our hearts. We live in a broken world, so we should expect broken things to happen. Life isn't always calm, and storms will come—sometimes we can see them approaching, and sometimes they appear without warning.
But peace isn't found in the absence of problems. Peace is found in the presence of Christ.
The same Jesus who calmed the storm that night is with you today. You might not be able to see Him, but He's in your boat. You may not hear His audible voice, but He's there, sovereign over every storm you face.
We spend so much time praying for God to change our situations when He's more interested in changing our hearts. We live in a broken world, so we should expect broken things to happen. Life isn't always calm, and storms will come—sometimes we can see them approaching, and sometimes they appear without warning.
But peace isn't found in the absence of problems. Peace is found in the presence of Christ.
The same Jesus who calmed the storm that night is with you today. You might not be able to see Him, but He's in your boat. You may not hear His audible voice, but He's there, sovereign over every storm you face.
The Voice That Speaks to You
When Jesus said, "Peace, be still," He wasn't just speaking to the wind. He was speaking to every anxious, fretful, fearful heart that has ever faced a storm. Whatever chaos you've come out of, whatever chaos you're in right now, whatever chaos is coming around the corner—His voice still speaks: "Peace, be still."
The Prince of Peace doesn't always remove the chaos, but He always reigns over it. And when we know who's in our boat, we can face any storm with faith instead of fear.
This Advent season, as we light the candle of peace, may we remember that true peace isn't found in perfect circumstances. It's found in the perfect presence of Christ, who has authority over every storm and speaks peace to every troubled heart.
The Prince of Peace doesn't always remove the chaos, but He always reigns over it. And when we know who's in our boat, we can face any storm with faith instead of fear.
This Advent season, as we light the candle of peace, may we remember that true peace isn't found in perfect circumstances. It's found in the perfect presence of Christ, who has authority over every storm and speaks peace to every troubled heart.