When The Storm Rages
July 2026
Peter Hogan
Mark 4:35-42 reminds us to trust in God when life gets rough in the same way that a body of water does during a rainstorm. This story in Mark 4 teaches us how to depend upon Him when we lose strength. The passage describes what happens when Jesus and His disciples encounter a storm on the Sea of Galilee. When the storm came, the disciples were in fear and lost sight of the fact that Jesus was their protector. However, He had already given them His word that He would get them to the other side of the lake.
Their first thought in the midst of the storm was to revert to the training they had as sailors, but it wasn’t useful in times like this. Even with Jesus physically present, the disciples didn’t think to place their trust in Him. The same thing happens to us when we think we know a situation better than God. As the disciples would learn, we tend to become hopeless when we depend on our own understanding. Instead, we must consult and depend on God’s word rather than on ourselves. The disciples looked to their earthly surroundings for protection instead of God, and because of that they lost hope.
When we doubt God, we must ask ourselves “why?”, and if we’re trusting God or earthly things. It’s essential that we trust in God, and not the world, as He protects us. Let’s not be like the disciples and question God’s care for us. During the storm, Jesus slept in an effort to tell the disciples He wouldn’t let them drown and had things under control
We tend to think God doesn’t care about our problems, but He knows the exact times to intervene as He did when He ended the storm for the disciples. Their cries for help are what woke Jesus because He wanted to recognize their need for Him as He does with us. We may not think He cares, but He may be waiting for us to come to the end of ourselves and follow Him as He knows how everything will eventually play out. Jesus has proven His power and what He can do. He has adopted us into His kingdom and has our lives under control. We’ll make it through the storms of life when we follow Him.
Their first thought in the midst of the storm was to revert to the training they had as sailors, but it wasn’t useful in times like this. Even with Jesus physically present, the disciples didn’t think to place their trust in Him. The same thing happens to us when we think we know a situation better than God. As the disciples would learn, we tend to become hopeless when we depend on our own understanding. Instead, we must consult and depend on God’s word rather than on ourselves. The disciples looked to their earthly surroundings for protection instead of God, and because of that they lost hope.
When we doubt God, we must ask ourselves “why?”, and if we’re trusting God or earthly things. It’s essential that we trust in God, and not the world, as He protects us. Let’s not be like the disciples and question God’s care for us. During the storm, Jesus slept in an effort to tell the disciples He wouldn’t let them drown and had things under control
We tend to think God doesn’t care about our problems, but He knows the exact times to intervene as He did when He ended the storm for the disciples. Their cries for help are what woke Jesus because He wanted to recognize their need for Him as He does with us. We may not think He cares, but He may be waiting for us to come to the end of ourselves and follow Him as He knows how everything will eventually play out. Jesus has proven His power and what He can do. He has adopted us into His kingdom and has our lives under control. We’ll make it through the storms of life when we follow Him.