Week Three · Day Two

The Storms Within and Without

Pause

Take a few deep breaths. Relax your body.
Quietly consider how Jesus loves you, how He enjoys the real you.

Come as you are… not as you think you should be.
Let go of the need to fix yourself and lean into His love.

(Let His peaceful presence settle in and around you for a few minutes.)

Ponder

Sleep was eluding me, once again. Our finances were a mess—cars broken down, taxes due, orthodontist charges—the list was long. Parenting a teenager well felt hit and miss. Then a friend shared some relational struggles she had with me, and by bedtime I was overcome by distress. My mind went round and round for hours. At some point I fell into a troubled sleep.

I woke with a start, a refrain playing in my mind: “Even the wind and the seas obey Him.” I had read the story a few days before. I lay there quietly pondering those words. I shared my struggles one by one, watching Jesus take control over each of them.

Learning from Jesus means letting Him speak “Be still,” to the storms within and without.

Read Mark 4:37–41 slowly.

But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

Read the passage again—out loud if possible.

As you sit with these words, notice what draws your attention.
Do not rush to understand or explain.

Gently ponder:

  • What do you notice about Jesus' heart here?
  • What feels most personal or tender today?
  • Where do you sense invitation rather than demand?

Allow a word, phrase, or image to linger. If you have time, write it at the top of the page and free-write for a few minutes.

Pray

Jesus,
You do not stay away,
but step into the middle of the storms that assail me.

I come with the upheaval, the burdens, the apprehensions
that churn like a storm in my soul.

Let me hear you say “be still” to each one.
Give me grace to trust You are still in control.

(Sit quietly. Hear “peace.” Rest.)

Practice

As you move into the day ahead,
carry one word or phrase from this passage with you.

You might return to it
as your day fills with busyness,
as unexpected troubles arise,
or as you lay your head to sleep.

Let it remind you that
even the wind and seas obey the Prince of Peace.

Learning from Jesus means hearing “peace, be still” in the middle of the storm.