By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea. Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power; which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of the waves, and the tumult of the people.
Mark chapter 4 relates the story of Jesus asleep in a boat on the Sea of Galilee when a storm arose. The disciples are frightened at the storm and frustrated at the Master. They awaken him saying, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"
He arose and rebuked the storm with the words, "Peace, be still". Then he rebuked his disciples, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?"
That faith was not about calming the sea! They had just accused Him of not caring.
Don't we all do that at times? We pray and get no answer. "He doesn't care."
Tragedy comes. "He doesn't care."
A job search takes months. "He doesn't care."
Those are so many storms of our lives. They are frightening. Not every storm has a peaceful ending. Puerto Rico is such an example.
The psalmist says something significant. He acknowledges that God has power over the elements just as Jesus calm the storm. But the significant statement is at the end when he says that he also calms ". . . the tumult of the people".
We all have experienced tumult in our lives. The dictionary describes it as"a confused and excited state of mind or of the emotions". That's the fear - the lack of faith.
My own tumultuous moments felt like my whole insides were in commotion. I was a hamster running on a wheel and could not stop. My stomach was in knots. I either could not sleep or my sleep was restless, interrupted by disturbing dreams. I could not function in my daily activities. Like the disciples in the boat I asked "Don't you care?"
But unlike the disciples I did not see the storm abated. I had to trust that the stories of God's power in scripture where there - not because he would calm every storm in my life - but so that I would know He is the Almighty, Ruler of heaven and earth who has the power to say to me, "Peace, be still".
I see the calming of my own inner tumult to be the greater miracle. The inner tumult is combined with all the personal experiences that taught me not to trust and not to believe that God cared for me. That tumult represented many things that I needed to learn. I did not have a lack of faith so much as a misunderstanding of faith and what it could do and not do. I had to learn what God could do for me and what I needed to do for myself. When peace came so much had changed. I knew He loved me. I knew I was worthy of His love. I knew there was nothing I could do that would make Him not love me. I trusted Him. I knew Him.
Hymn #105 Master the Tempest is Raging
Master, with anguish of spirit
I bow in my grief today.
The depths of my sad heart are troubled.
Oh, waken and save, I pray.
Torrents of sin and of anguish
Sweep o,'er my sinking soul.
And I perish, I perish, dear Master
Oh, hasten and take control.
Peace. Be still.
Peace. Be still.
Be still and know that I am God.
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