April 29th, 2025
Hello church family and friends,
It was 2:23 a.m. when the alert sounded on my phone. It was a weather update as Cherokee County was warned about a severe storm passing through producing large hail and strong straight line winds. The city of Cherokee was spared of much damage from the storm, unlike our friends in the community surrounding Storm Lake.
So, what do you do when the weather alert sounds in the middle of the night? You make a choice. You either get up to see what this major storm looks like, or you pull the covers up over your head and go back to sleep. If you have been blessed with an abundance of curiosity, you might just go stand on your porch to view the full force of the fury!
It had been a long day for Jesus and the Twelve. He taught using numerous parables by the lakeside. Mark recorded “when evening came, he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side’” (Mark 4:35). During the brief trip across the lake a furious storm came up. As experienced fishermen, many of the disciples knew the danger they faced. In their panic, they asked, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (v. 38)
In a response they could not have anticipated, Jesus “got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be Still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (v. 39). Three simple actions: Jesus, awakened from his sleep, arose to face the storm; he reprimanded the winds; and he spoke to the waves. At the power of his word, the winds diminished, and the waves calmed. Simple actions with dramatic results!
I am not sure how I would have responded to that display of power. I would like to think it would have been different than the disciples, but I can’t guarantee that. “They were terrified and asked each other, ‘who is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” (v. 41). Their internal reaction was surprising – terror. Their external reaction was captured in the question – “who is this?” Clearly, the disciples were still trying to figure out who Jesus is, as many are today. That is understandable. Who could have anticipated God in the flesh (cf. John 1:14)!
There are times when God steps in and miraculously calms the storm surrounding the believer. But it seems there are many more times when God steps in and miraculously calms the believer in the midst of the storm. Why he chooses the approach he does is a matter of his sovereignty. While we may not be able to understand the why, we are still called to trust the Who.
I have now lived through the snowstorm of the century, tornados, the flood of the century, earthquakes, the ice storm of the century, the dust storm of the century, and the drought of the century. Thankfully, not all in the same year! Next time the weather alert awakens me, I will probably just pull the covers up and trust the One who speaks to the storm while he speaks to my heart.
Blessings,
Pastor David
It was 2:23 a.m. when the alert sounded on my phone. It was a weather update as Cherokee County was warned about a severe storm passing through producing large hail and strong straight line winds. The city of Cherokee was spared of much damage from the storm, unlike our friends in the community surrounding Storm Lake.
So, what do you do when the weather alert sounds in the middle of the night? You make a choice. You either get up to see what this major storm looks like, or you pull the covers up over your head and go back to sleep. If you have been blessed with an abundance of curiosity, you might just go stand on your porch to view the full force of the fury!
It had been a long day for Jesus and the Twelve. He taught using numerous parables by the lakeside. Mark recorded “when evening came, he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side’” (Mark 4:35). During the brief trip across the lake a furious storm came up. As experienced fishermen, many of the disciples knew the danger they faced. In their panic, they asked, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (v. 38)
In a response they could not have anticipated, Jesus “got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be Still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (v. 39). Three simple actions: Jesus, awakened from his sleep, arose to face the storm; he reprimanded the winds; and he spoke to the waves. At the power of his word, the winds diminished, and the waves calmed. Simple actions with dramatic results!
I am not sure how I would have responded to that display of power. I would like to think it would have been different than the disciples, but I can’t guarantee that. “They were terrified and asked each other, ‘who is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” (v. 41). Their internal reaction was surprising – terror. Their external reaction was captured in the question – “who is this?” Clearly, the disciples were still trying to figure out who Jesus is, as many are today. That is understandable. Who could have anticipated God in the flesh (cf. John 1:14)!
There are times when God steps in and miraculously calms the storm surrounding the believer. But it seems there are many more times when God steps in and miraculously calms the believer in the midst of the storm. Why he chooses the approach he does is a matter of his sovereignty. While we may not be able to understand the why, we are still called to trust the Who.
I have now lived through the snowstorm of the century, tornados, the flood of the century, earthquakes, the ice storm of the century, the dust storm of the century, and the drought of the century. Thankfully, not all in the same year! Next time the weather alert awakens me, I will probably just pull the covers up and trust the One who speaks to the storm while he speaks to my heart.
Blessings,
Pastor David
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