A Cushion in a Crisis: Finding Peace When Life Gets Stormy
Life has a way of placing us in situations that feel bigger than our experience, stronger than our abilities, and more violent than anything we have encountered before.
Sometimes we enter a storm because of our own decisions. Other times, we find ourselves in a storm while doing exactly what Jesus told us to do.
That is where the disciples found themselves in Mark 4.
Jesus had spent the day teaching the people. When evening came, He said to His disciples:
“Let us cross over to the other side.”
The disciples followed His instructions, entered the boat, and began their journey across the water. But while they were traveling, a violent storm arose.
The wind began blowing.
The waves began crashing against the boat.
Water started filling the vessel.
The disciples became convinced that they were about to die.
Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat with His head resting on a cushion.
That cushion becomes a powerful picture of the peace and confidence we can have when we know who is with us.
Following Jesus Does Not Prevent Every Storm
The disciples did not enter this storm because they were disobedient.
They entered the boat because Jesus told them to go to the other side.
This challenges the idea that following Jesus will always produce an easy, comfortable, and problem-free life.
Sometimes following Jesus will lead you directly into situations that test your faith.
You can obey God and still encounter opposition.
You can pray and still experience pressure.
You can serve faithfully and still face financial difficulty.
You can love your family and still experience trouble in your home.
You can be walking with Jesus and still find yourself in a storm.
The presence of a storm does not necessarily mean that you missed God. Sometimes the storm is part of the journey God is using to reveal more of Himself to you.
The disciples knew how to handle boats. Several of them were experienced fishermen. Storms on the water were not new to them.
But this storm was different.
It was so violent that their experience could not rescue them.
Their knowledge was no longer enough.
Their familiarity with the water could not calm the waves.
They had reached a situation where their abilities ended—and they needed Jesus.
When Experience Is Not Enough
There are moments in life when everything you know seems useless.
You have handled difficult situations before, but this one feels different.
You have survived previous storms, but this one appears stronger.
You have used every strategy you know, but nothing seems to be working.
You may find yourself saying:
“I have never dealt with anything like this.”
“I do not know how I am going to make it through this.”
“I thought I was prepared, but this is beyond me.”
The disciples were experienced on the water, but their experience could not overcome the storm.
This is where faith must move beyond confidence in our own abilities.
Sometimes God allows us to reach the limits of our strength so that we can recognize the unlimited authority of Jesus.
Jesus Is Still in the Boat
While the disciples were fighting the storm, Jesus was asleep.
The boat was rocking.
The waves were crashing.
Water was coming inside.
The disciples were panicking.
But Jesus was resting.
His rest did not mean that He was unaware of the storm. It did not mean that He did not care about the disciples. His rest demonstrated His confidence and authority.
Jesus was not afraid because He knew the storm could not cancel His purpose.
He had already said, “Let us go to the other side.”
The storm arose between where they started and where Jesus said they were going, but the storm did not have the authority to overturn His word.
When Jesus has declared that you are going to the other side, the storm may delay you, frighten you, and shake you—but it cannot cancel what God has spoken.
The disciples looked at the storm and believed it had the power to destroy them.
But they had forgotten who was in the boat.
The most important thing about your storm is not the size of the waves.
It is the presence of Jesus.
Bring Your Honest Prayers to God
The disciples woke Jesus and asked:
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Their words were honest.
They were afraid, frustrated, and confused. They could not understand how Jesus could sleep while they believed they were about to die.
Many of us have experienced moments when it appeared that God was silent during our greatest crisis.
We prayed, but nothing immediately changed.
We cried out, but heaven seemed quiet.
We trusted God, but the storm continued.
During those moments, we may wonder:
“God, do You see what I am facing?”
“Do You care about what is happening to my family?”
“Do You know how overwhelmed I feel?”
“Why are You not responding?”
This passage teaches us that we can bring those honest emotions to Jesus.
Prayer does not always have to sound polished. Sometimes prayer is simply:
“Lord, I need You.”
“Lord, I am afraid.”
“Lord, I do not understand.”
“Lord, I feel like I am sinking.”
God is not intimidated by your honesty. He would rather you bring your fear to Him than allow fear to drive you away from Him.
The disciples may not have demonstrated perfect faith, but they went to the right person.
When the storm became overwhelming, they went to Jesus.
God’s Silence Does Not Mean His Absence
When Jesus awoke, He did not immediately answer the disciples’ accusation.
He addressed the storm.
Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, and commanded the waves:
“Peace, be still!”
Immediately, the wind stopped and the water became calm.
This reveals something important: God may not always respond to you in the way you expect because He may be speaking directly to your situation.
You may not hear Him explaining everything to you, but that does not mean He is inactive.
You may not see immediate evidence, but that does not mean He is absent.
You may feel like heaven is silent, but God may already be working on the circumstances surrounding you.
God’s silence toward you does not mean He is silent concerning you.
He may be speaking to the opportunity.
He may be dealing with the person.
He may be moving resources into place.
He may be closing a door that would have harmed you.
He may be strengthening your faith while addressing something you cannot see.
You must learn to trust God even when you cannot track what He is doing.
Speak to the Source of the Storm
Jesus first rebuked the wind because the wind was causing the water to become violent.
He addressed the source rather than only reacting to the symptoms.
Sometimes we spend our energy addressing the waves while ignoring the wind.
We try to correct the behavior without healing the wound behind it.
We address the anger without confronting the rejection.
We address the unhealthy relationship without confronting our fear of loneliness.
We address the addiction without addressing the pain we are trying to escape.
We address the financial behavior without confronting the beliefs influencing our decisions.
We address the fruit without dealing with the root.
Healing often requires us to ask:
“What is really causing this reaction?”
“What unresolved pain is still influencing me?”
“What fear is driving my behavior?”
“What happened in my past that I am still carrying into my present?”
“What wind is creating these waves?”
What happened to you may not have been your fault. But allowing God to heal you is now part of your responsibility.
You cannot continue allowing a younger, wounded version of yourself to control your adult responses.
God wants to heal the source of the struggle—not merely calm the visible symptoms.
Put the Word on Your Situation
Jesus spoke to the storm, and the elements obeyed Him.
The wind had no ears, yet it responded.
The water had no mind, yet it submitted.
Creation recognized the voice of its Creator.
There are moments when you must stop repeating what the storm is saying and begin declaring what God has said.
The storm may say, “You will not survive.”
But the Word says:
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper.”
Fear may say, “You are alone.”
But the Word says:
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Lack may say, “There will never be enough.”
But the Word says:
“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.”
The situation may say, “This is impossible.”
But the Word says:
“With God all things are possible.”
You cannot defeat every spiritual battle through human reasoning alone.
Sometimes you must put the Word of God on what you are facing.
There Is a Name Above Every Name
Every crisis has a name.
Cancer has a name.
Anxiety has a name.
Depression has a name.
Trauma has a name.
Divorce has a name.
Rejection has a name.
Debt has a name.
Fear has a name.
But Scripture declares that Jesus has been given a name above every name.
Whatever has been named in your life is still beneath the authority of Jesus.
Your struggle may describe what you are experiencing, but it does not define who you are.
Your name is not rejected.
Your name is not abandoned.
Your name is not broken.
Your name is not hopeless.
Your identity is found in Christ.
When the storm becomes loud, call the name that is greater than the storm.
Call Jesus.
Do You Trust the Storm or the Savior?
Throughout this passage, the disciples placed their confidence in different places.
At first, they placed their faith in the power of the storm.
They believed the storm could do exactly what it was threatening to do. They believed the wind and waves had the final authority over their future.
We must be careful not to allow external circumstances to determine what we believe about God.
When you give your situation more authority than God’s Word, the problem begins occupying a place in your heart that belongs only to God.
The disciples then looked to Jesus as the one who could fix their immediate problem.
There is nothing wrong with asking Jesus for help. But our relationship with Him cannot be based only on what He does for us.
Sometimes we treat Jesus like a repair person.
We call when something is broken.
We pray when we are in trouble.
We worship when we need a miracle.
Then, once the storm is over, we return to living without Him.
Jesus does not only want to be the person you contact during emergencies. He wants a relationship with you.
Trust Jesus for Who He Is
After Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples asked:
“Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
They began realizing that Jesus was more than a teacher.
He was more than a prophet.
He was more than a miracle worker.
They were in the presence of God.
The miracle revealed the identity of Jesus.
Miracles are not the final destination. They point us toward the person of Christ.
Jesus does not perform miracles so that we will worship the miracle. He performs miracles so that we will know Him more deeply.
Our faith must eventually move from:
“I trust Jesus because of what He can do,”
to:
“I trust Jesus because of who He is.”
Even if the storm does not stop when you expect, you can still trust Him.
Even if the relationship ends, He is still faithful.
Even if the job changes, He is still your provider.
Even if the healing takes longer than expected, He is still God.
Even if you do not understand the process, you can trust the person of Jesus.
Your Cushion Is Knowing Who Has You
The cushion in this message represents a place of rest and confidence in the middle of crisis.
Your cushion is not your money.
Your cushion is not your education.
Your cushion is not your experience.
Your cushion is not your position.
Your cushion is not your connections.
Your cushion is knowing that Jesus has you.
There is a difference between insurance and assurance.
Insurance may protect something you own, but your spiritual assurance comes from knowing you belong to God.
You can rest—not because everything around you is calm, but because the One who controls the wind and waves is with you.
You can rest because the storm does not have the final word.
You can rest because Jesus is still in the boat.
You can rest because the Savior is greater than the crisis.
You can rest because God has not lost control.
A Word for Worship Life Church
This message was delivered during Worship Life Church’s third-anniversary celebration.
Three years of ministry represents three years of preaching, serving, praying, giving, sacrificing, loving people, and trusting God through every challenge.
Planting and growing a church will include seasons of celebration, but it will also include seasons that feel like storms.
There will be moments when leaders feel overwhelmed.
There will be times when resources feel limited.
There will be seasons when the work feels heavier than expected.
But the church belongs to Jesus.
We are called to work faithfully without attempting to carry responsibilities that belong to God alone.
Leaders must remember that Jesus is still in the boat.
Servants must remember that Jesus is still in control.
The congregation must remember that the future of the church does not depend solely on human strength.
Worship Life Church has made it through three years because God has remained faithful.
The same God who carried us through every previous storm will continue leading us toward the other side.
Make This Declaration
Declare this over your life:
Jesus is still in my boat.
The storm will not cancel God’s Word over me.
God’s silence does not mean He is absent.
I will bring my honest fears to Jesus.
I will put the Word of God on my situation.
I will trust Jesus for who He is—not only for what He does.
My crisis does not control my faith.
I have a cushion in this crisis because I know who has me.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for being present with me in every storm. When life becomes overwhelming, help me remember that Jesus is still in the boat. Forgive me for the times I have trusted the power of my crisis more than the authority of Your Word. Teach me to bring my honest fears to You and trust You even when I cannot see what You are doing. Reveal the source of every struggle, heal the wounded places within me, and strengthen my faith in who You are. Whether the storm stops immediately or continues for a season, give me the peace to rest in Your presence. My confidence is not in what I have; it is in knowing that You have me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Watch the Full Message
What do you do when you are following Jesus but still find yourself in the middle of a storm?
Watch guest speaker Elder David Jackson deliver “A Cushion in a Crisis” during Worship Life Church’s third-anniversary celebration. This message will encourage you to trust Jesus when He appears silent, place the Word of God on your situation, and find rest in knowing that Jesus is still in the boat.