Peace! Be Still

Worship Wednesday with Pastor Edith
March 12, 2025
Matthew 8:23-27

What a beautiful day in the neighborhood! The sky is blue, the birds are singing happily and the sun brings warm air through my window. What a change from our winter storms not too long ago when we were covered with a foot of snow and ice. Just goes to show: Here in the Midwest if you don’t like the weather, hang around for a bit and it will change.

Today’s scripture is the telling of a time when the weather was not cooperative for the Disciples who were in a boat on a lake. Many of you are already very familiar with this story, but as with all of the stories of Jesus; it’s good to repeat and reflect.

“Then he [Jesus] got into a boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’”

Jesus must have been more than exhausted to sleep through such a storm on a small fishing boat. After all they had experienced with Jesus, the disciples still struggled with their faith that he would care for them. I have been there a time or two, how about you? Have you faced or perhaps you are facing a storm that seems impossible to overcome? Does it feel as if you may not survive this one? I am in conversation with some folks who feel that way. It may not be watery waves threatening, but it definitely appears to be more than they can handle. What can I do? I can pray, I can hold a hand and encourage, I can make soup, I can walk beside them as they walk beside me and we can remember how the Lord brought us through other storms, He will take care of this one.

I will close with the words of an old hymn we rarely hear anymore; “O Sing a Song” by Louis Brown; “O sing a song of Galilee, of lake and woods and hill. Of Him who walked upon the sea and bade the waves be still. For though like waves on Galilee, dark seas of trouble roll, when faith has heard the Master’s word, falls peace upon the soul”.

AMEN and PRAY ON!