My dad is getting older and has been dealing with some real health issues. He was with us recently, and he looked at me and said: “Son, getting old is not for wimps — but it’ll strengthen your faith.”
That hit me.
Because the truth is, all of us are going to face storms. The question isn’t if the storm will come. The question is: how will you respond when it does?
In Mark 4:35–41, there is one word that keeps surfacing — great — and a few implied greats along the way. In this one short passage, God gives us four of them. And together, they point us to the greatness of Jesus in the middle of our worst moments.
I. A Great Windstorm Arose
Jesus told His disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side.” They obeyed — and almost immediately, a great windstorm hit. The waves were crashing over the boat. The disciples were taking on water.
Here’s what I want you to notice: following Jesus does not exempt you from the storm.
These men were right in the middle of God’s will. Jesus had given the command. They had obeyed. And the storm came anyway.
So if you’re in a storm right now, don’t assume it means you’ve stepped out of God’s will. Sometimes a storm in your life means exactly the opposite — that you’re right in the middle of it, moving in obedience, headed exactly where Jesus told you to go.
II. A Great Fear Arose in the Disciples
These weren’t rookies. Several of these men were professional fishermen. They knew the Sea of Galilee. They had seen storms before.
But they woke Jesus up and cried out: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
Fear has a way of making us forget what we know. And when we focus on the size of the storm, we lose sight of the size of our Savior.
It’s worth asking yourself honestly: in your last storm, what were you looking at — the waves or Jesus? Because the answer to that question explains a lot about how you felt.
III. A Great Calm Came When Jesus Spoke
Jesus woke up. He looked at the wind and the waves. And He said three words:
“Peace. Be still.”
And there was a great calm.
He didn’t panic. He didn’t strategize. He didn’t call a meeting or consult anyone. He spoke — and creation obeyed.
The disciples had spent this entire storm talking about the wind and the waves. Jesus addressed the wind and the waves directly. That difference is everything.
The same Jesus who controls the wind and the sea controls the storms of your life too. He is not asleep and uncaring. He is sovereign and unshaken. And He is not impressed by the size of what is threatening you.
IV. They Were Filled with Great Fear — the Right Kind
After the storm stopped, the disciples were filled with great fear. But notice — it was a completely different kind of fear than before.
The first fear was the fear of drowning. This new fear was the fear of God.
They looked at one another and said: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
That is exactly the right question. And it leads to exactly the right response — awe, worship, and trust.
The goal of every storm is not to destroy your faith. It’s to deepen it.
God is not wasting your hard seasons. He is using them to show you who Jesus really is — in a way that calm waters never could.
Have Great Faith in a Great Savior
So when the storms come — and they will — you have a choice. You can respond with worry and fear. Or you can respond with faith.
Practically, that looks like:
- Running to Jesus in the storm, not away from Him. He is not the one who sent you out to sea and walked away. He is in the boat with you.
- Reminding yourself of what you know, even when your emotions say otherwise. Fear is loud, but truth is louder — if you’ll speak it over yourself.
- Letting the storm drive you to your knees instead of to despair. The disciples’ cry — “Do you not care?” — was desperate, but it was directed at Jesus. That’s not bad theology. That’s honest prayer.
The One who calmed the Sea of Galilee with three words is the same Jesus who is with you in your storm right now. He is not panicking. He is not worried. And He is not asleep.
As the old hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness reminds us — His mercies are new every morning, and all we have needed His hand has provided. That was true on the Sea of Galilee. It is still true today.
We have a Great Savior. Let’s respond to our storms with great faith.
