“The greatest cargoes of life come in over quiet seas.” This tremendous statement has long been a source of calming strength for me, especially during turbulent and troubling times in my life. In The New, Dynamic Church, Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille wrote, “The fullest cargoes of life come in on quiet seas. When the oceans are rough, the ships lay out in the deep; but when the oceans quiet down, the great cargo ships come into the harbor. The greatest cargoes of our spiritual life come in over our quiet inner seas. One of the things that the Word of God has done to me is to give peace to me on the inside so that I can receive the abundance of the power of the fullness of God.”
The inner depth of our soul can sometimes get stirred up by external factors, but what allows us to overcome is our ability to redirect our thoughts so that our inner seas are quiet and peaceful. By examining a record in the Gospel of Mark, we will learn from Jesus Christ’s example how we can manifest God’s peace and prevail through storms we face in life. We will see that acting upon the Word of God in our minds gives us peace on the inside so that we can manifest God’s abundant power in our lives.
In Mark 4 Jesus Christ demonstrated his authority to take charge of circumstances and his ability to remain peaceful, even while in the midst of a raging storm. It was during this violent storm that he performed the miracle of calming the sea. The record in Mark 4 begins with Jesus teaching a great multitude that had gathered by the seaside on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. As evening approached, he said to his disciples, “Let us pass over unto the other side” (Mark 4:35). This is where we will pick up the record.
Mark 4:36-38:
And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat [were beating] into the ship, so that it was now full [filling].
And he [Jesus] was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow [a wooden seat with a leather covering or cushion]: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish [are perishing]?
The Sea of Galilee is actually a freshwater lake. It is known for its sudden and violent storms, which can be life threatening. Its shallow depth, a mere 200 feet maximum, allows the lake to get whipped up by winds much more rapidly than deeper bodies of water. Additionally, the geographic conditions surrounding the Sea of Galilee contribute to the formation of these storms. The lake sits at 680 feet below sea level, where the climate is semitropical with moist, warm air. However, the bordering hills can reach heights of 2,000 feet, and such elevations are a source of dry, cool air. When these contrasting air masses meet, violent storms can arise quickly and without warning.
These are the very conditions that Jesus and his disciples faced. Just imagine what it would have been like for them. In verse 37 it says, “…the waves beat [were beating] into the ship….” The boat was filling up with water! A boat filling with water is more susceptible to sinking or overturning. With all this turmoil surrounding them, verse 38 says Jesus “was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep….”
Next in verse 38 we read that his disciples awoke him in desperation, asking him, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” They did have a point, at least from a five-senses point of view. They were definitely in a dangerous situation. The circumstances Jesus and his disciples encountered were certainly unsettling, but Jesus did not allow the circumstances to dominate his peace—and thus his believing action.
Mark 4:39:
And he [Jesus] arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Verse 39 reveals the great example of Jesus Christ as he took charge of the situation. Jesus arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still,” and afterward “there was a great calm.”
Bishop K. C. Pillai, a well-known authority on the Eastern culture of the Bible, shared concerning this record, “Renewed mind is the key of keys. This is how you can maintain calm, peace. You can’t listen to your senses. To be able to calm your mind is greater than calming the seas.”
Isaiah 26:3:
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
The great key to understanding how Jesus carried out this miracle of calming the sea is to recognize that he was mentally at rest….
This is an excerpt from the May/June 2010 issue of The Way Magazine.
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