A few months ago, in my morning time of prayer and worship, I came to the Lord praying for myself and others. I could feel the pain and weight of grief on so many as I felt my own pain. I sensed that there are many right now who have been walking through pain, trauma, loss, rejection, betrayal and grief for a long time. They feel panic and fear while attempting to figure out a solution. They are overwhelmed and exhausted from the storms around them. It felt like a dark storm all around me, wave after wave of sorrows and trauma in so many lives. As I shared my own troubles and the trials of others with the Lord, I felt an overwhelming fear and panic to “fix” things, make the chaos stop. But suddenly, I heard the Lord say, in my spirit, these words, “Put down the bucket”, “Put down the bucket!” I asked the Lord, “what do you mean, – “Put down the bucket”?

Immediately, I saw myself in a boat being tossed by large waves. As the water was pouring into the boat, I had my hand on a bucket, frantically drawing up the water and pouring it back into the sea. Bucket after bucket full of water, I couldn’t keep up with the water pouring into the boat. I was panicking trying to solve the crisis for me and others. Then I saw an image like Jesus sitting in the boat across from me saying, “Put down the bucket! Don’t fear and panic. Put it down. I am here.”  I hesitated but threw the bucket down even though the storm continued to get stronger. Then I asked, “Well, what do I do now, Lord?” and I heard the words, “Give me your hand!” I stretched out my hand toward his and I held tight. At that moment, in my mind I heard the words from a popular song I remembered from my youth: “Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water. Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea…” All of a sudden, an amazing peace came over me even though the storm was still raging all around.

After this encounter, I was reminded of the disciples who had been in the boat with Jesus when a storm came up so ferocious that they thought they would die. The Gospel of Mark recounts the story:

“One day, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, ‘Where is your faith?’ “

The disciples were in a panic like many of us. They were in a situation where they actually feared for their lives. The storm came on suddenly and they panicked. They feared that Jesus had forgotten them and didn’t care about the danger they were experiencing. But there was Jesus, asleep in the boat. At peace, in control, asleep. The disciples called out in fear and Jesus immediately calmed the storm. He questioned their faith in him to solve the danger, the storms around them.

Some of you may be in a huge storm yourself right now, full of chaos and conflicts. This is the greatest storm of your life. Panicking from the trials, trauma and loss that don’t seem to end, fearing the outcome. You have a bucket in your hand, frantically trying to solve the problems out of fear. Jesus is saying to you, “I am here in the boat and see your fears. Put down the bucket. I am in control of the storm. Give me your fears. I will give you my peace. At some point, I will say, ‘Peace, Peace be still!’ and the storms will calm down around you. But until then hold on to me, my promises, my presence. I promise to calm the storm and will never leave you until it does.”

Today, the Lord is saying to some of you, “Put down the bucket!”.  You may be tempted to pick it up again, thinking you need it because the waves continue to splash against the boat. But the Lord wants you to throw it away – far away out into the ocean and trust only in him. He knows your needs, the bills that need to be paid, the job you need to find, the broken relationships, the loss dreams and hopes, and the conflicts around you. Give them to him, trust in his power and love to give you his peace, to calm the storms. Trust in his words:

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.” Colossians 3:15

 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything…Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 

“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised.” Psalm 56:3-4
 
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16

Soon, the chaos and storms will end and Jesus will bring healing and calm. You can trust in him to take your problems. Hold his hand because he won’t let you go. He will not leave you or desert you. There will be a sudden change soon; the sun will come out and the waves will stop. Hang on until that day, that hour when you hear, “Peace be still!”