Last week we were travelling back from Devon after spending a few days visiting family. After queuing for about half an hour to get onto the M5 everything looked good for a straightforward trip home. Then, suddenly out of nowhere, it started to rain. Not just a gentle spit, this was torrential rain that turned the road into a river.

I have to admit that I’m not a fan of driving in the rain. At the age of 18 I aquaplaned while driving in my first car, an old mini. It has left me with a deep respect for the danger a bit of water on the road can bring and how easy it is to go from being in full control to no control at all. When the rain came I took the necessary measures, slowed down, put on the lights etc. but really, I just wanted it to stop.

Yet, here’s the problem. I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t lessen the rain and I couldn’t shift it over so that it was somewhere else. The only relief came as we passed under a bridge and the hammering sound on the roof dissipated albeit briefly.

I don’t know about you, but bad weather always reminds me how small and weak I am. It is a force beyond my control and something that I can do nothing about. As much as we might hope that if the BBC predict sunshine it might turn away the rain it’s just not possible. We can’t change the weather, just respond to it and make the most of it.

In the Bible there is a story about Jesus that is very different. He is sleeping at night in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and his disciples are with him. We are told that as he slept a huge storm blew up and the wind was so violent and the waves so big that the disciples, some were experienced fishermen, thought they would all die.

Through all of this Jesus slept until his disciples woke him in a panic accusing him of not caring whether they died or not. The Bible then says that something truly remarkable happened. Jesus got up and ‘rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm’ (Mark 4:39 NIV).

Can you imagine that happening? Can you imagine being there, seeing Jesus, hearing Jesus and then suddenly the storm is gone, and everything is calm? The disciples were amazed and asked, ‘who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’ (Mark 4:41 NIV).

There is something different about Jesus. Want to know more? Why not come along to one of our services or get in touch and we’d love to help you explore that question.