“MASTER THE TEMPEST IS RAGING” 4th of 4 In A Series For June

THE CALM
Jesus, the Master of the storms of life, tells us how to obtain the peace that He had given Peter: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Although we still have storms of tribulation, we can have peace within by the means of “these things I have spoken unto you.” Thus, this peace is acquired by learning and living the life as taught by Jesus and His Word. Furthermore, we must have full assurance of faith in God (Rom. 4:20-21). The problem with those in the boat was their “little faith” (Matt. 8:26). For this they were rebuked. We must have the great faith as did the centurion (Matt. 8:5-13) and the woman of Canaan (Matt. 15:21-28), both of whom had no doubt in the power of Jesus. The God who, with words, created a universe and calmed a raging storm, is the same God whose words can give us peace. Thus, when we have full assurance of faith in God and His Word (Heb. 11:1), and when we learn that Word, live by His principles and have the outlook on life that He did, we then obtain His peace.
This truth (that peace is acquired through the Scriptures) is revealed in several verses. To those in the storm of bereavement, Paul concluded his words with, “wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:18). It was the words of God—the Scriptures—which could give them comfort. We are also told that the Scriptures which were written aforetime are able to give us comfort (Rom. 15:4). Again, it is the Word of God that gives comfort in Psalm 119:49-50, “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” In the same psalm we are told, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm. 119:165).
How, then, can we have this peace in our storms which Jesus had and Peter learned? It comes through the Word of God. However, a vital aspect of obtaining this peace is told in Philippians 4:9, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” A person can hear and learn what the Bible teaches, but until he lives that life, there will be no peace in the storms. In the storm at sea, Peter had Jesus in the boat, but he did not have Him in his heart. In the storm in the jail, Peter had Christ living in him (Gal. 2:20). Peter now lived the way Jesus taught. He looked at life the way Jesus did. Then, as the storm came on the outside, there was not a storm on the inside.
In order to be able to endure the storms of life, we cannot wait till they come to get ready to deal with them. Rather, we must daily and diligently prepare by learning, loving and living the Words of the Master of the storm, and then we will be able to calmly handle death, or any other storm (Matt. 10:28; Psalm 23) and say, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm . 4:8).
This account, which is presented in our song, accurately portrays the overpowering storms that humans often encounter. The lesson that is taught is a lesson that gives us great assurance and comfort: Jesus can give us a calm in the midst of our storms! He Himself is our example as He slept through the storm, and, just as Peter gained this same peace, so can we as we have great faith in God and live by His Word.
Gary Henson