Smile At The Storm

The Dove in the Storm

Today's lesson is called "Smile at the Storm." If you stop to think about it, that's actually quite a strange thing to say.

Look at a photo of a storm over Singapore. You don't want to be outside during a storm like this—with strong winds and rain heavy enough to bring down enormous trees. When there's a storm, the first thing we want to do is hide or run away.

So what does it mean when we say we can smile at the storm?

Think about the picture of the dove in the storm. Even in the midst of all that chaos and noise, the dove is at peace. In a way, it can smile at the storm because no matter how bad the weather gets, it knows it is safe.

Now, right about now, some of you are thinking: "The dove is safe because it can hide in the rock. But what happens when there is nowhere to hide?"

What a great question.

Jesus Asleep in the Storm

Remember the time when Jesus and His disciples got into a boat to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It was evening, and there they were, sailing peacefully in an open boat in the middle of the sea—when suddenly they were caught in a terrible windstorm. Enormous waves rose above their heads and crashed into their boat.

Imagine being there with them that day. One minute you're enjoying a lovely evening cruise, and the next minute you're hanging on for dear life in a very dangerous, very watery roller coaster that is totally out of control. There was no place to hide, and certainly no place to go. The terrified men knew they were in big trouble.

But get this. In the middle of all that noise, confusion, and terror, there was still peace. Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping peacefully with His head on a pillow.

The disciples couldn't believe their eyes. How could someone sleep through a storm like that? Then they became even more terrified.

"Teacher, don't You care if we drown?" the desperate men cried.

You know what happened next. Jesus got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves:

"Peace, be still."

And just like that, everything became completely and perfectly peaceful and calm. Wow.

Who Can This Be?

Let's follow the story in Mark chapter 4:

But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"

Why did Jesus even ask the men why they were afraid? Wasn't it obvious? It was a terrible storm that could have sunk their ship. Everyone could have drowned. And why ask about their faith?

The next verse gives us the answer:

And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

Instead of being amazed by the coming of the storm, the men became even more afraid. "Who can this be?" they asked.

Do you know the answer, Rockets? Yes—the answer is Jesus, the Son of God.

Didn't the men already know this? They had been with Jesus all day, every day. They had seen Him do all kinds of miracles and listened to Him teach. Maybe they knew, but just forgot.

Either way, if they truly and really knew who Jesus was—the Son of God—they would have known that Jesus was in full control of the situation. He could sleep through the storm because He was the master of the storm.

The men were safe, even while their boat was filling up with water. They were safe, even while they were hanging on for their lives. They were safe because Jesus was in their boat.

It's Okay to Feel Afraid

Was the storm scary? Yes. Was it okay for the men to feel afraid? Yes—just like how we are allowed to scream on a roller coaster ride. It's okay to acknowledge our fear. But we don't have to panic like the disciples and wail, "Don't You care if we drown?"

Rock Kidz, the good news today is this: He cares. He cares very, very much—more than you can ever understand or imagine. You can be sure of this. Why? Because every time Jesus looks at His hands today, He sees the proof of His love for you.

Even Better Than Being in the Boat

And ready for even more good news?

The disciples were safe because Jesus was in their boat with them. But we have something even better. We have Jesus living in us.

Jesus said:

"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Because Jesus is with us, we can have peace. We can smile at the storm and say:

"Peace. Jesus is with me. He is in control. Everything will be all right. Let my heart not be troubled."

What This Looks Like Every Day

What does this look like for us every day?

Here you are at the start of another regular day, reciting your verse of the week:

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Then the little "storms" start to come:

• You discover not one, but two pimples on your face. "Let not your heart be troubled. It's just a pimple. It will go away."
• At breakfast, you see some bad news. You're about to go on holiday—what if the flights get cancelled? Or what if they don't get cancelled and you get hit by bad weather instead? "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
• In school, you realize you've left your pencil case at home. Later, you discover you forgot your homework too. Is this going to be one of those days where everything goes wrong?

Wait a minute. No—it doesn't have to be like that. You can pray. You can run to Jesus for help.

"Jesus, help. Let not your heart be troubled. Don't worry. Everything will be all right."

And so you go through your day, facing the challenges and worries not alone, but with Jesus right by your side.

At the end of a long day, you're finally ready for bed—and hey, the pimples are gone! It's been a tough day, but you can say:

"Thanks for being with me all the way... You're the best, Jesus. What would I do without You?"

Jesus, Our Superhero

The good news today is this: we have Jesus with us. He is in our hearts all day, every day, all the way.

He's so much more than just a best friend or someone we can trust. He is our superhero—the Son of God, all-powerful, all-knowing, never caught by surprise by any situation or problem that may come our way. Best of all, no one cares for us like our Jesus. His love for us is perfect.

This is why we can sing:

With Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm as we go sailing home.

Rockets, say this with me: "Let my heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Say this to yourself often, many times this week. Speak it out, meditate on it, and remember that even when things don't look good, you can still smile at the storm.

Why? Because with Jesus, you are safe. He will make everything work out for your good in the end. And when He does, remember to write in and tell us about it, so that your testimony can be a blessing to others as well. Amen.

Prayer to Receive Jesus

If you are joining us today and you have not asked Jesus to come into your life to be your Lord and Savior, I want to give you a chance to do so now. If that is you, receiving Jesus is easy. All you need to do is pray this with me and mean it from your heart:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for me. I believe You are the Son of God who died, was buried, and rose again. Your precious blood washes away all my sins, making me forever right with Daddy God. I ask You now to come into my life to be my Lord and Savior. I am forever righteous, forever blessed, forever a child of God. In Jesus' name, amen.

Amen. That was awesome.