Mark 4:35–41 (NKJV) 35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

Luke 8:22–39

What is a Storm?

A storm naturally consists of rain, hail, or snow, accompanied by strong winds and often featuring thunder or lightning. In battle, it represents a direct and violent assault on a stronghold. To attack by storm means to launch a sudden offensive. On one’s part, it reflects behavior characterized by violence, akin to being in a state of great anger. It involves taking by force. A storm can also refer to a violent commotion or disturbance. Furthermore, a storm is water moved with great force by wind within any water mass.

What is a storm of life? Storms in life include any undesired actions, activities, resistance, and painful words aimed at demoralizing you against your will or knowledge.

What is Wind?

First, it is air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. Second, wind is a tendency or force that influences events. In this study, I am going to use the second definition to describe wind.

Types of Storms

We have two types of storms. First, there is the storm that arises from and in the sea, which is a natural phenomenon. Second, we have storms that arise from people, which are life challenges. Psalm 65:7 shows that both of these exist. God is the one who is able to calm them. The Bible says, “Who still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.” (Psalm 65:7, AMP.).

Composition of a Storm

First of all, a storm is water that is moved with great force by wind in any water mass. The two verses of Mark 4:37 and Luke 823 below show us the storm we are looking at in this study:

“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already ⁴filling.” (Mark 4:37).

“But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.” (Luke 8:23)

Now from these two verses, you will understand that a storm is made up of two elements. First is wind, and second is water.

The water is the visible component. However, remember our definition of wind: wind is a tendency or force that influences events. Here, you can see water, but that water is powered by the unseen wind.

Sea, Ocean and their Waves

Sea, ocean, and their waves represent people and their actions.

“Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!” (Isaiah 17:12 (KJV)

Isaiah 17:12 above shows that the roaring or noise of the sea and the rushing of mighty waters are both storms of life. This is because they refer to people’s actions, events, and activities against others.

Now, let’s examine Psalm 65:7 in various versions. Afterward, we will clarify some of the words used to deepen our understanding of the storm.

Storms of life are:

1. Tumult of the people.

What is tumult? Tumult is a state of commotion, noise, and confusion. It is violent agitation and the act of making a noisy disturbance. When this is directed toward an individual or group of people, it becomes a story to them.

Agitation is a mental state of extreme emotional disturbance. It is the feeling of being agitated, not calm, and the disturbance in protest as well as the act of agitating something, causing it to move around (usually vigorously). When conditions arise that prevent your mind from relaxing and being at peace, it feels like a storm of life for one in such a state.

“You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples.” (Psalm 65:7, NKJV)

“Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.” ( Psalm 65:7, KJV).

“Who still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.” ( Psalm 65:7, AMP.)

2. Commotion caused by the nations.

What is a nation? A nation is made up of people. “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23).

What is commotion? Commotion is a confused movement. It is the act of making a noisy disturbance. It can also be a disorderly outburst or tumult. When nations whose people demonstrate against their leaders, it becomes a storm for them.

“You calm the raging seas and their roaring waves, as well as the commotion made by the nations.” (Psalm 65:7, NET).

3. The shouting of the nations.

What is shouting? Shouting is uttering a loud, inarticulate cry of pain or excitement. When a loud, inarticulate cry of pain is directed at you, it feels like a storm.

“You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations.” (Psalm 65:7, NLT).

4. Turmoil of the nations.

What is turmoil? Turmoil is a violent disturbance. It is violent agitation. It’s violent in protest. When there is violent disturbance, agitation and protest against your and your undertakings that is a storm of life you are facing.

“Who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.” (Psalm 65:7, NIV).

“Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!” (Isaiah 17:12 (KJV)

Isaiah 17:12 above shows that the roaring or noise of the sea and the rushing of mighty waters are both storms of life. This is because they refer to people’s actions, activities, doings, and undertakings.

5. The noise of the seas, the noise of their waves.

When noise is made against you unnecessarily, it annoys and demoralizes; thus, it becomes a storm in life.

“Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.” (Psalm 65:7, KJV).

“Who makes the loud voice of the sea quiet and puts an end to the sound of its waves “ (Psalm 65:7, BBE).

6. The roar of the sea, the roar of its waves.

Seas and their waves here signify people and their maneuver. What is roaring? Roaring is a deep, prolonged, loud noise. When you incur a deep, prolonged, loud noise from people or your seniors, that is a storm for you.

“Who still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples”. (Psalm 65:7, AMP.)

“Who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.” (Psalm 65:7, NIV).

7. The raging oceans with their pounding waves.

Oceans and their waves here talk of people and their indulgences or activities. What is raging? And what is pounding? Raging is a characteristic of violent and forceful activity or movement. It is very intense and shows violent anger. When violence is directed against you and your endeavors, it becomes a storm. Or when you are occasionally shown anger, this is a storm of life. Pounding refers to repeated heavy blows. When you receive repeated heavy blows, whether physical or verbal, it becomes a storm of life for you.

“You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nation’s.” (Psalm 65:7, NLT).

Calming the Storm

Luke 8:22–25 (NKJV) 22 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”

Now to know how to calm the storm of life, let us borrow a lesson from Jesus. What did Jesus really do when he encountered the storm at sea? The verses in Mark 4:37, 39 and Luke 8:23–24 below give us insight into what happened.

“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so it was already filling………… Then He (Jesus) arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:37,39, brackets mine).

“But as they sailed He (Jesus) fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.” (Luke 8:23–24, brackets mine).

Jesus rebuked the wind, and the sea calmed down. If you want to calm the storm in your life, the spiritual principle is to rebuke the wind; the water will then calm on its own. Focusing solely on the water — the visible troubles — will waste your time. The water represents the challenges you see: problems at work, issues in your marriage, divisions in your ministry. All these troubles are the water, but they are driven by the wind.

Don’t try to calm the water directly — how can you use your hands to calm it? Instead, deal with the wind, which is the source of the disturbances. Remember, Jesus rebuked the wind, and the sea was calmed.

As long as you are quarreling, abusing each other, or losing your temper, that’s the water. Recognize that behind it is the wind. You have received wisdom: don’t take these issues at face value. The challenges you see have their roots in the spiritual realm. The wind drives the water, causing storms in your life.

Always remember that a storm consists of both wind and water. While you see the water (the troubles), the wind remains unseen. Every action by the water originates from the wind’s force. When you receive a prophetic word about your promotion from God, you might suddenly find that everyone — including your superiors — turns against you, nitpicking everything you do. It can feel like a coordinated attack. This is the troubled water in front of you.

Arguing and fighting to resolve these issues is akin to trying to calm water with your hands — it’s a pointless endeavor. You now know what to do. Follow Jesus’ example: how did he calm the storm? He rebuked the wind, and the water settled. This is how to calm your storm. Direct your energy to the wind, rebuke it, and say, “Shalom, peace, be still.” The water — representing your troubles — will then subside.

What is the Real Wind?

By the time Jesus went to the other side, he met what he was calling wind. They were demons that were in the man in Gadara.

“And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs”. (Luke 8:27).

The wind is a force of darkness; it can be likened to a demon or a spirit that possesses individuals, holding them captive and hindering their ability to prosper.

The demons within the man from Gadara recognized that Jesus was approaching to confront them. They understood that by saving this man, entire cities would be liberated. Consequently, they stirred up turmoil and created confusion. It is important to remember that Satan does not fight for you; instead, he opposes you in relation to your potential.

As a believer, mastering the art of spiritual warfare is essential, or you risk being overwhelmed. A ministry does not flourish without effort; it requires dedication and hard work. Speak with those who carry the vision — they will share the challenges they have faced and the mysteries they have navigated to ensure the success and growth of their ministries. Do not be deceived into thinking it comes easily. If you fail to understand spiritual warfare, remember that you will not endure — neither in this world nor in terms of making an impact.

You have now been granted wisdom. Do not rely solely on the physical; victory cannot be achieved this way. The physical realm is rooted in the spiritual. It is the wind that stirs the waters and conjures storms.

Muzzler of sea storm and wave crash, of mobs in noisy riot — (Psalm 65:7, MSB). Turn to God. Rebuke the wind, and the storm will calm.

By Pastor Gilbert Magomere Ayieko