God comes to still the Wind
January 8, 2025 - Wednesday after Epiphany
Mark 6:45-52
When the prophet Elijah stood on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, a great and powerful wind tore through the mountains, followed by an earthquake and then a fire. Yet Elijah, hidden in the cave, patiently waited for the Lord. Finally, a gentle whisper came, and everything was over. The Lord arrived, and the wind, earthquake, and fire were gone.
In today’s Gospel, the disciples are without Jesus in the boat, tossed about by the waves, with the wind against them. Meanwhile, Jesus is on the mountainside praying, yet He sees what is happening on the sea. Then, He walks on the water toward them, speaks words of reassurance, enters the boat, and all is well again. How do you face challenges in your life? When the winds of life blow against you, how do you respond?
Beethoven struggled to play the violin and preferred composing his own music rather than perfecting his technique. His teacher dismissed him as a hopeless composer.
Albert Einstein didn’t speak until he was four years old and couldn’t read until he was seven. His teacher described him as “mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in his foolish dreams.” He was expelled from school and denied admission to the Zurich Polytechnic School.
Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for lacking ideas. Before creating Disneyland, he went bankrupt multiple times.
The words Jesus spoke to His disciples are meant for us as well: “Take courage, I Am; do not be afraid!” (Mark 6:50). His ability to walk on water and His declaration, “I Am”—Ego Eimi in the original Greek—reveal His divinity. In the Book of Job, we read that God “alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea” (Job 9:8). Moreover, when ancient translators rendered God’s Holy Name into Greek, they used the phrase Ego Eimi—“I Am.”
Through Jesus’ words to the disciples, we hear a message that echoes throughout Scripture: a call to trust that removes fear. Life inevitably brings challenges. The waves may toss us around, and the winds may seem unrelenting. But we are not alone. The Lord sees our struggles and comes to us, often in the most unexpected moments, walking on the sea of life to still the winds and bring us peace.
Reuben Morgan’s song Still beautifully captures the heart of this Gospel’s message:
“Hide me now, under Your wings.
Cover me, within Your mighty hand.
When the oceans rise and thunders roar,
I will soar with You, above the storm.
Father, You are King over the flood.
I will be still and know You are God.
Find rest my soul in Christ alone,
Know His power, in quietness and trust.”
When the storms of life rage around you, remember that the One who walks on the waves is also the One who calms them. Trust in His presence, even when He seems distant, for He is watching over you. He comes not to eliminate every challenge but to journey with you through them, transforming fear into faith. Take courage, for the same Lord who quieted the sea for His disciples longs to bring peace to your life. Trust Him, and let His presence still the winds in your life.