Turbulence

Recently, I was on a flight from Chicago. Shortly after takeoff, we reached our cruising altitude. The pilot warned us about some possible turbulence. “No big deal,” I thought. Suddenly, the plane dropped. A lot. It probably lasted barely two seconds. The oxygen masks didn’t even fall from the ceiling. But there was an audible gasp from the passengers as our stomachs seemed to fly upward. The guy next to me turned a ghastly white. Up till that moment, I had felt a bit sleepy, but the rush of adrenaline canceled my nap. I was reminded of the adrenaline-filled incident in Mark 4 when the disciples and Jesus are traveling by boat across the Sea of Galilee. A sudden storm erupts, and the disciples, many of them experienced fishermen, panic when water begins to gather in the boat. Unlike my brief adrenaline rush, I’m sure the disciples worked feverishly to right the small boat. They rowed hard against the storm, but they seemed to be losing. And Jesus? Mark tells us Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the boat. That may seem hard to believe, but I’m sure He was exhausted after days of teaching, healing, and traveling. Besides, we fear what we cannot control. Thus, Jesus had no fear. No aspect of creation fell outside His dominion—sickness and death, all aspects of nature, demonic powers—all of them are subject to Jesus’s power. Colossians 1:16 tells us that “in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth.” The next verse adds, “in him all things hold together.” Whether it’s airplane turbulence or the turbulence of our own lives, we fear the unknown. But the cross of Christ can overcome that fear. I can’t control the events of life, but I know the One who can. I can panic at the waves or turn to the One who overcame death and secured my salvation. Trust Him with your life, and He will secure it as surely as He calmed the waves and settled the storm. • Mike Hurley • We all have times when we feel afraid (Psalm 56:3). In these times, God invites us to rely on His sure love for us (1 John 4:13-19). How might knowing that Jesus is greater than everything help us to have courage even when things feel out of control? For in him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Mark 4:35-Mark 4:41; Colossians 1:16-Colossians 1:17