We know that living on earth is like a rolling sea. Whether it’s our personal life or life among members in the church, it’s like we’re on the sea. The sea isn’t always calm. There’re waves. And it’ll be worse when there’s a storm. This puts us in peril.

The storms that happen in our life may be related to our personal health, challenges in our career, or challenges in our relationships (with our parents, children, or in our marriage). These are storms that will likely happen. It’ll create fear in us when we see the signs of storms coming.

What do we do when we see signs of storms coming? The words Jesus said will be used for mutual encouragement and teaching.

Mark 4:35-41
When we face storms in our lives, these verses can act as a good reminder. When we face storms in our lives, our hearts are like the boat in the storm. We have the feeling we’re going to lose our lives at any time. When we face the storm in life, we know how terrifying it can be.

The speaker once travelled from Batam to another island in Indonesia for work training. On the journey to the island, it was still peaceful and calm. Since he was travelling with the plantation boss, the boat he was on had 3 engines. They reached quickly. But for his journey back, the boat was just a simple sanpan with one engine behind. He had to cross the sea from Sumatra to Batam. As he was crossing, a storm came. He wondered if he would lose his life. Waves splashed so high, his face was completely wet. The captain was wise. He drove the boat to another island to wait the storm out. After the storm had subsided, they continued their journey to Batam. It was an unforgettable experience for the speaker. He understands why the disciples were afraid. You need to experience something similar to really understand what they were going through. The rocking of the boat isn’t like that of a rocking chair or bassinet.

There’re storms that we can see. But the storms we face are invisible. It’s in our hearts and causes us to be very uncomfortable.

What can we learn and see from the passage of Mark 4:35-41?
The Lord was with them. Strange. Why did they still go through storms even though He was with them? Jesus didn’t promise our lives would be a bed of roses when we have Him in our lives.

What is our principle when we face storms? To remember the Lord Jesus Christ is with us. Although the storm is before us, because we know the Lord Jesus Christ is with us, we need to learn to trust in Him and not fear. It is through the storm that our faith can be made manifest. When we go through storms - it may be a change in our circumstances which pushes us to extreme that we will we cannot take it any more, a setback in our work, or our health - don’t be like the disciples who forgot that the Lord was with them. They forgot to turn their heads back to look towards Jesus. Sometimes we know Jesus is with us but we don’t look to Jesus. Our eyes are fixated on the situation instead. Because we don’t have Christ in sight, we lose faith and start to sink.

The illness may drag on; the situation doesn’t seem to change. We struggle as we face the storm in our hearts. It’s us fighting ourselves. We don’t know how to manage ourselves. So when we face storms in life, we falter.

But when we can order our hearts, rely on God and walk through the storm in our hearts. This can be learnt. Always know our Jesus Christ is with us in the storm. The challenge is: do we seek Him in the storm? Do we learn to entrust the sorrows of our heart to Him in the storm? Are we willing to turn to Him and ask Him for help?

Truly, when the disciples ran out of options, they looked to Jesus Christ. Remember to turn our heads and look to Jesus Christ when we meet storms. In our anxiousness, we may make the wrong decision.

Phil 4:4-7
When we are willing to enjoy our problems to God with a joyful heart, God will grant you peace to manage the storms in our hearts.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

“Be anxious for nothing” How is this possible? If we rely on ourselves while facing the storm, it’s impossible not to be anxious. But when we turn our heads, we’ll see our Jesus Christ waiting for us to look to Him.

Prayer is important. When we’re willing to pray and entrust our matters to God, we’ll find peace in our heart, because we have passed the problem to God.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer…let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

It’s when we face the storm do we realise the level of spiritual maturity we have. We know where to work on in our faith. Without going through this storm, how can we know ourselves better? We see ourselves clearer because of the storm.

The speaker faced a great storm in his life. His boss told him, “In 6 months, we’ll retrench you.” Suddenly his life went dark. He kept thinking why and wondering why it was him. What happened was that there was a HR strife. His boss’s boss ‘lost’, so his workers were fired. At that point in time, he didn’t know why God had put him through this. It required walking on through these storms to see the beautiful will of God.

His job had required him to travel often. So much so that his wife called him a weekend husband. But since he was going to be retrenched, he didn’t need to travel anymore. At that time, Adam Church needed much maintenance work. Since he had the time, he devoted himself to helping in this. The 6 months were very difficult for him.

He would pray, and entrust the matter to God. But sometimes when he entrusted his matters to God, he’d still murmur. “Why must it be me? I serve in church what. Why do You put me in church?”

When the letter finally came after 6 months, he was really sad because he liked the job a lot. They gave him 2 months of salary.

Later, he found an opening in a big organisation (which happened to be the mother company of the previous smaller company he had been retrenched from) that he had always wanted to work in last time. It was only after the 6 months that the opening opened up. They later took back the 2 months of salary and re-termed the retrenchment as an internal transfer. That was quite what of them. But the speaker thanks God he ended up with a higher salary in the new job.

Looking back at what he had gone through in the 6 months of storm, he realised it was an opportunity God had given him to rely on Him. When you kneel down, you keep praying the same thing. “God please give me a job. God please give me peace.” Always the same content. For 6 months, he didn’t know how to live his life. Only after 6 months did he realise God’s will was good for him. Only when he looked back did he see God was there for him in the storm. God had become his strength and help.

Psa 34:4, 17-18
“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”
When we go through storms, read Psalms. They become bread of life to you.

People who have sorrows, don’t have peace or suffer from depression are usually familiar with Psalms. Psalms is a good bridge to connect us back to God. Many phrases are very uplifting. For example: “the Lord hears us, comforts us, and is our safeguard and refuge”

Some brothers and sisters have managed to walk out of depression because they relied on Psalms. Because they are the words of God. You’re walking through the storm. But you’re not alone. Jesus is there. He will bear your burdens.

Psalms is a good book to guide us through storms.

What else can we learn from the passage of Mark 4?
v37-38
Jesus had been preaching the whole day and was tired. He hence took the opportunity to rest on the boat journey. But it was then a furious squall arose. Yet in the midst of all this turmoil, Jesus was asleep in the stern. We find that Jesus is able to entrust His problems.

When we face storms in life, other than entrusting matters to God, let us look at what Jesus did when He was awoken. He rebuked the winds and waves and it became completely calm. Jesus knew the storm was for the sake of His disciples; to examine where they were in their faith. “Why are you so fearful? How is that you have no faith?” The disciples had witnessed many miracles of Jesus. But when they faced this storm, their hearts could not be calmed. When they had no other option, they woke Jesus up.

When we face storms in life, we need to wake Jesus up. We need to pray and wake Jesus up.

The disciples woke Jesus up, and Jesus heard them immediately, calming the winds and waves.

Sometimes we feel Jesus doesn’t hear us. We pray for so long and so many times, but nothing happens. However, we need to know that God will stretch out His hand at the right time. At the right time, He will intervene.

Do we run around anxiously seeking help from other people instead of turning to God?

He is the Creator of all the earth. He can calm whatever storm in our hearts. Whatever storms we face, set our eyes on the Lord and wake Him up. He will be there for us. But will we look to Him?

Mark 4:40-41
It’s only when we go through the storm do we understand God better. The disciples seem to know Jesus well but it was only after this storm did the disciples understand Jesus more completely. “And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

If they had not gone through this storm, how would they have known Jesus Christ? If they didn’t go through this storm, they learn to rely on Him.

Psa 107:23-32
v29 “He calms the storm, so that its waves are still.”
Who can calm or still the storm? God. We need to have this understanding.

Without this storm, the disciples would still be asleep and not have known Jesus better. But it was through this storm, they were awoken and knew Jesus better. This storm helped them to grow in faith.

When we face storms in life, it’s an opportunity for us to grow in our faith. If we don’t go through this storm, we wouldn’t understand the pain of going through it. When we do, we understand how to rely on God.

It’s easy to tell someone else, “Pray and rely on God.” But when it comes to our turn, we know how difficult it is to clasp our hands together and pray.

When we learn the lesson in this storm, we emerge with stronger faith, and greater trust in God. No matter how big the storm and waves are, it may cause great unrest in our hearts, remember Jesus is with us on this boat. Learn to trust in Him and entrust to Him.

Psa 46:1-3
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.”

This can be our strength as we go through storms. God Himself has said, “I am your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Refuge. Strength. A very present help in trouble.

No matter how big the storm is, our Jesus Christ is there.