Quiet! Be still.

“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Mark 4:39

Have you ever found yourself telling your children to “Quiet! Be still!” during a moment of chaos, perhaps not meaning it but needing a moment of peace to think about the solution? Thank God, He will never speak such words to us in our distress. Instead, He confronts the very source of our troubles, ready to calm our raging storms and rebuke our disturbers.
Our text this morning comes from account of storm the disciples experienced in Mark 4:35-41.

It’s striking to think about the disciples in that storm. Many of them were experienced fishermen, used to the unpredictable nature of the Sea of Galilee, yet this storm left them terrified. This wasn’t an ordinary storm—it was so fierce that even these seasoned men were overwhelmed. In their desperation, they woke Jesus, crying out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38. Their words weren’t just filled with fear but perhaps even frustration, as if they were doubting whether Jesus truly cared for them.

But here’s something important: they weren’t outside of God’s will. They weren’t like Jonah, running from God’s instructions and bringing a storm upon themselves. No, they were exactly where Jesus had told them to be. He had said, “Let us cross over to the other side” Mark 4:35, and they obeyed. Yet, the storm still came. Sometimes, even when we are walking in obedience, we face storms that feel overwhelming. But if God delivered Jonah, who was running from Him, won’t He much more deliver His own disciples who are following Him?

Jesus was right there in the boat with them. His presence didn’t prevent the storm, but it did guarantee their safety. When they cried out, He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet!, be still” (Mark 4:39). And immediately, everything was calm. That’s who He is. He is the God who speaks peace into chaos, who stills the raging seas, who never abandons His own. He didn’t promise a life without storms, but He did promise that we would never face them alone. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you” Isaiah 43:2.

No matter how fierce the storm may seem, He is with you. He cares. He sees. And He will rebuke the storm. Sometimes, He calms the storm around you; other times, He calms the storm within you. But either way, He is in control. Fear has no power where His presence reigns. So take courage. The same God who commands the winds and the waves is with you in your trials, and He will never allow you to be overcome.

Abba Father, we know that you will never let us perish. Help us to remember that you are the same God who calmed the seas with just your words. Strengthen our trust in you, so we can face life’s challenges bravely, knowing you are always with us. Guide our hearts to trust in you, not fear; in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Kay Alli