Peace Be Still

“Peace! Be Still!” Read those words again and say them out loud as you do. “Peace! Be Still!”

You may know the story from where these words come, but in case you don’t, Jesus spoke these words when He was trying to calm the nerves of His disciples. The story is found in Mark 4:35-41. The simple version goes like this. Jesus was crossing the sea with his disciples in a boat, and He decided to take a nap. While He was sleeping, a storm came up, and the wind and waves made the disciples fearful and worried. They woke Jesus because they thought they were going to die. Then Jesus stood up and said, “Peace! Be Still!” to the wind and waves! Then all was quiet and calm, and the disciples were amazed that the wind and waves obeyed Him.

As I read this passage recently during my quiet time, the thing that jumped out to me wasn’t Jesus' amazing power over the wind and waves. The thing that jumped out to me was that Jesus could sleep through a storm! I find that impressive. I’m a very light sleeper. I don’t think I could have rested well enough to take a nap in a storm that is bad enough to make you think you’re not going to survive!  

Here is an interesting and worthy observation: the passage says a “windstorm arose and the waves were breaking over the boat,” and the disciples were “amazed because wind and waves obeyed Him”…hmmmmm, I'm thinking…not a coincidence! Jesus was in full command the whole time! There was purpose in the storm!

Isaiah 9:6 tells us that one of the names of Jesus is “Prince of Peace.” Clearly we see the name and character of Jesus on display in this story. In the midst of the storm, He is able to be asleep because He is the Prince of Peace! He commands the wind and waves, not once, but twice, to be silent! He is commanding peace because He is Peace! (Eph. 2:14).

What wind and waves are you currently experiencing that make you wonder if Jesus cares or if He is asleep somewhere?

This summer as you ‘get away’ on vacation, remember that peace is not the absence of conflict or tension. Peace is not your presence under an umbrella on a beach, as nice and relaxing as that is. Peace is the presence of Jesus resting ‘in the boat’ of your heart and mind!  

Say it again slowly…“Peace! Be Still!”

Be Still and Know

I am a worrier. I have always been a person who worries. Once I became a mom, my worry hit a whole new level. I think about the bad that can happen, and many times it truly ruins my day. Do you do that? Do you worry to the point of taking the joy out of the day? If so, you know exactly what I am talking about.

As I have grown deeper in my relationship with the Lord my worries are less frequent, but Satan, the prowling lion, waits until I am vulnerable and pounces. That's how Satan works. He waits until you are vulnerable, and then he strikes. But lucky for us, the Lord has already won!  

In the midst of our vulnerability we must remember Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” Why must we Be Still? In order to hear from the Lord, you must listen. You can't hear in the chaos; you need to be still.  The Lord can't speak to you when your complete attention is on something else...whether it be work, social media, simple everyday tasks, or just being plain busy. When we are focused on the day-to-day grind, we lose sight of the Lord. Satan gets us where he wants us. That's the perfect time for the worry to strike, or maybe for you, it's not worry but stress, or anxiety, or temptation. Whatever it may be, you are under attack. You lose sight of what the Lord has already done and will continue to do for you.  

So how can we be still? Remember how I said the closer I am to the Lord the less I worry? That's the key - your relationship with the Lord. Make time daily for the Lord. Spend time with the Lord, read His word, pray and disconnect from the distractions for a little bit. Allow this to be the time that you are still and listening. To be still is to stop, to be quiet, to be patient, to wait and listen.

We can't forget that our Lord is the Creator, the one who has numbered every hair on our heads. Talk to the Lord during your stillness and remember during this time you are building your relationship with Him. No relationship is going to be successful with one way communication. I guess I should go ahead and say, sometimes even when you are still and listening, the Lord won’t answer right away. The answer could possibly be found in the waiting or maybe just knowing He is the Almighty is enough.

This brings me to the next part of the verse. "And Know!…Know that I am God." God created the world for us. Then He created you and He created me in His image. Not because He didn’t care, but because He cared so much for you to have a relationship with Him. He values knowing you, and He desires for you to know Him. In order for you to know God, you must realize how valuable you are to Him. We are so valuable that He sent His one and only Son to DIE on a cross to save US from the sin of the world.

God is with us, and He never leaves us nor forsakes us! During points in life there are both mountain peaks and valleys. God is there through it all. Knowing Him is trusting Him, knowing is having faith that can’t be shaken. In your times of vulnerability you must be still and know. To know is to realize that God is larger than this world and has overcome the battle of death, so you may have eternal life with Him.

Proverbs 3:5 tells us to, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Trust God in this journey and know that He is for you. I encourage you today to take time to Be Still and Know. In the busyness, Be Still and Know. In the chaos, Be Still and Know.