Last week, like Jewish rabbis, we began stringing pearls together. Some of us are adding new pearls of truth to our strand of faith, while others are merely adding some shine to the pearls they’ve already gathered. Pearl #1 was: Context Matters. Our second pearl this week is: Chaos Control.
Does your life feel chaotic today? Fat schedules, thin finances, and awkward relationships can certainly make us feel like a series of crashing waves has knocked our feet out from under us. Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” That’s a promise we’d rather not paint on our living room wall. But thankfully, His promise doesn’t end there. He goes on to say, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Indeed, God is the only one who can tame our chaos. For the Jewish people, water sometimes symbolized chaos. The seas held terrifying mysteries. It harbored unknown creatures and could cause massive destruction. To them, it seemed untamable.
In Genesis 6, God saved Noah but allowed unrestrained floodwaters to wipe out a wicked generation. In Exodus, God split the chaos of the Red Sea so that the once-enslaved Hebrews could make their way to the Promised Land. Then, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, God divided the Jordan River at flood stage to allow the Israelites’ passage into the Promised Land. Later, God allowed Isaiah to encourage Israel with these words:
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.” (Isaiah 43:1b-2a NLT)
Throughout the New Testament, Holy Spirit power continued to hover over the surface of the waters just as He did at Creation. Jesus often calmed stormy seas, Paul endured the terror of being shipwrecked, and the sea became a place of judgment for a legion of demon-possessed pigs.
My favorite story of liquid chaos control is found in Mark 4. Jesus had spent the day using parables to teach a large crowd gathered by the lakeshore. Later, the disciples asked Him what the parables meant, and He offered them even more parables to ponder about the kingdom of God. Then, like the good Teacher He was, He gave them an object lesson they would never forget.
Hearing that Jesus wanted to go to the other side of the lake, the disciples prepared the boat, and Jesus stepped into it. Suddenly, a mighty wind swept across the lake. If you’ve ever been on a lake during a storm, you know how scary that can be. Waves crashed over the sides of the disciples’ boat as it rocked back and forth. They were terrified. But Jesus? With His humanity worn out from a busy day, He was sleeping like a baby in the back of the boat. After being roused from a deep sleep, I can’t help but wonder if He didn’t peek out of one eye just to see how the disciples were responding to all the chaos. Maybe His eyes smiled as His lips turned up a bit, knowing what He was about to do. With the words, “Silence! Be still!” the chaos calmed as fast as it had begun.
If your life feels chaotic today, sit in the boat with Jesus for a while as it rocks. He is the Master at calming the chaos. Give Him time. He knows just when to speak up. I don’t offer that advice flippantly. I know chaos. I know how terrifying it can be. But I also know that when we call out to Jesus and our eyes remain fixed on Him, the wind dies down and the waves get still. That’s when all the pearls of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding we’ve collected over the years get slipped onto the One Strong Cord that holds all things together. (Colossians 1:17)
There is so much you already know about Jesus. Don’t let what you don’t know rock your boat. Trust what you’ve already seen Him do. Believe what He’s already said. Have faith in the One who will not only bring peace to your chaos now, but also create a new Heaven and a new earth, and FINALLY destroy the sea of chaos. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:1-4 NLT) Hallelujah!
Next week, Pearl #3: Scattered
