“Peace. Be still” (Mark 4:39).
When the disciples woke Jesus because they were scared of the storm, he was upset with them—not because they had tried to calm the storm and failed, but because they had put their trust only in what Jesus could do for them, instead of what they could do in him. They had missed the opportunity to release the faith and grace he had been teaching them to live in. Not only could they have stopped the storm, they missed the greater miracle of having so much peace they could’ve just slept through it.
All of us have gone through storms—painful, complex, and overwhelming circumstances. Some are still in them, ones that have raged on for years. Jesus said in John 16 how difficult some of the trials and challenges in this world can be. But he also said no matter how tough things get around you, you can still live in joyful confidence because he has already overcome every storm in the world.
Don’t let the storms around you overwhelm the truth in you. You are a completely loved, never forsaken child of God, and you are welcome to experience his presence at any time. In that place of awe and intimacy with Jesus, he has all the peace you need to face the storms, all the faith you need to overcome them, and all the grace you need to become the whole, brilliant, powerful person he sees you as. The storms are not your identity. Your identity is who you’re becoming as you rest in Jesus through them.
Equip Your Spirit 