God Holds The Calm And Subjects All To His Will

"God Holds The Calm And Subjects All To His Will" – Psalm 65:7 “Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.” A single verse joining two things man cannot master: the raging sea and the uproar of the nations. The study begins with the counsel not to enter politics —that is not our atmosphere; God removes, God sets up, and God knows how to carry the earth—, but neither to shrug: if no one prays for the earth, who prays? From there it walks through the sea as a symbol of chaos: the waves that go out and return to their place and drag off whoever stands near; the “peace, be still” of Mark 4:39, a command to a living, rebellious thing that recognized the voice of its Creator; the questions of Proverbs 30:4, which many see as a messianic anticipation; the fire, hail and stormy wind of Psalm 148:8, fulfilling His word; the rule over the raging of the sea in Psalm 89:9; the storm made a calm in Psalm 107:29; the sea that ceases when the cause is faced in Jonah 1:15; and faith against fear in Matthew 8:26. The conclusion is exact and hard: faith does not remove the storm, but it lets us trust in the midst of it.

I. He who stills.

A. God calms, quiets and makes cease what seems impossible to control.

1. The waves, the noises; and, as the verse says, the tumult of the peoples.

2. There is great tumult among the nations today.

3. It is not that there will be a change: it is that we know how our conduct must be.

B. Neither you nor I should be political people: that is not our atmosphere.

1. God removes, God sets up, God gives; and God knows how to carry the earth.

2. We opine comfortably: we are the ones being favored as a people.

3. Every believer who wants to grow must know he is a warrior, so as to understand.

4. Life is not foolish; and to live foolishly is simply to fail.

II. We must cry out for the earth.

A. “I do not watch the news, it does not concern me”: then who prays for the earth?

1. We must cry out to God for the earth, we must entreat God.

2. Moses and those who raised up faith kept an active faith, without despairing.

3. God teaches us to be different from humanity: the conversations come heavy.

B. What we see is like hearing the raging sea.

1. Violent waves frighten, and the last thing you want is to pass near them.

2. The wave goes out and returns to its place; and if you are near, it takes you to the open sea.

3. It is not how hard it is: it is that the waves are uncontrollable.

C. The troubled one, praying and trusting, can know quiet.

1. But one must pray, must know the Scriptures, must be near God.

2. What our life must produce is faith; not doubt, not complaint, not lament.

3. “Life is hard”: you make your life.

4. At what age must one pray? From birth.

III. God controls everything.

A. The psalmist presents God as sovereign.

1. “The devil sent this”: the devil sends me nothing, because God controls everything.

2. If the devil attacked, it is man who opens the doors: when they open, he enters.

3. God controls wars and troubles: who can harm the one God favors?

B. Though it seem to be chaos, it is God calming the chaos.

1. “I read that verse and did not understand it”: it was not revealed to you; today it is.

2. One seeks, and one finds: the meek, the one who prays, the one who seeks.

3. If the nations rose up fearing God, they would have well-being.

4. What is impossible for man to master, God calms and subjects to His will.

IV. Peace, be still (Mark 4:39).

A. With His voice alone He stopped a storm that had the disciples terrified.

1. They were far out at sea: this boat will capsize, we shall all perish.

2. “Peace, be still” is a command to a living, rebellious thing.

3. Those waves did not know that the Messiah was there, that the Creator was there.

B. And what stance do we take when the open sea comes to destroy us?

1. We love to sit in the boat taking blows: one wave comes and then another.

2. We must call the Master.

3. The sea and the wind recognized the voice of their Creator.

4. The day the open sea is before you, look at it with faith, with drive, with authority.

V. What is his name? (Proverbs 30:4).

A. All those questions display the greatness of God.

1. Ascending and descending speaks of dominion over the heavenly and the earthly.

2. Gathering the wind and binding the waters: absolute power over nature.

3. Establishing the ends of the earth speaks of God as creator and sustainer of all.

4. “What is his name, and his son’s name?”: many see a messianic anticipation.

B. They are questions like blows.

1. Are you awake? Do you know who God is?

2. Do you know what to do when the great waves come to destroy you?

3. Let us be able to wake up.

VI. All creation worships Him (Psalm 148:8).

A. Heaven, earth, animals, people and nature are all called to worship God.

1. The stars worship Him; how many archangels, seraphim and cherubim bless Him.

2. Angels have no need to see miracles; we do, because we fall ill.

3. This globe turns and neither you nor I feel a thing: who does it, if not God?

4. A worm will not simply eat us: we have an inheritance and a place in heaven.

B. Fire, hail, snow, vapor and stormy wind fulfill His word.

1. Where do volcanoes come from? From the earth’s center, when God permits them to rise.

2. Do you remember Hurricane Maria? And we took it as though it would not come.

3. Seventy-two days without power; and longer without meat one could eat.

4. God said to the storm: pass through the middle of the island. God is the one who sends.

C. All creation is under His dominion.

1. Even the most destructive phenomena are part of His plan and purpose.

2. Nature is not something chaotic: it is an instrument in God’s hands.

3. The more you seek God, the more fear you have; and from there comes your blessing.

4. It is a back that must bow: better that we bend.

VII. Thou rulest the raging of the sea (Psalm 89:9).

A. God is the absolute Lord of creation.

1. The raging of the sea is the untamable force of the waters.

2. As He calms the physical sea, He can bring peace to the storms of our life.

3. Nothing, however violent, is outside His control: do not blame the devil for everything.

B. I have never asked God why He allowed this to happen.

1. When the struggles come, I fight; when problems come, I try to solve them.

2. “I am going through many trials”: God is permitting them.

3. One is not prepared to fight the devil; what place do we give him?

4. If the Scriptures are not known, what is known? Then one does not grow nor fear God.

VIII. He maketh the storm a calm (Psalm 107:29).

A. The psalm tells of distresses where people cry to God and God answers.

1. It is like seeing sailors in a storm, with the wind blowing and blowing.

2. When God sees you in the depths of the waters, He turns that storm into a calm.

3. How long will it take? There are storms that have gone long unresolved.

4. But God with me: that is all I know; I have seen Him work.

B. Make yourself known to God, and then He will favor you.

1. Because He already knows you and hears your prayer.

2. It is not by coming to church that you are known: you are known when you pray.

3. If you do not pray, you are not known.

IX. The sea ceased from her raging (Jonah 1:15).

A. The sailors understood the storm was because of his disobedience.

1. “This man will sink the ship”: before us, him.

2. Jonah felt himself the only saved one, and would not go because Nineveh was idolatrous.

3. At once the sea calms: the cause of the divine wrath was faced.

B. The calm was not chance, but a direct answer to His will.

1. It teaches the seriousness of obedience: the storm was the consequence of his flight.

2. When the root of the problem is dealt with, the calm comes.

3. The calm is sought: when we hand over what hinders, God brings peace where there was storm.

X. Faith against fear (Matthew 8:26).

A. “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”

1. Faith works many miracles; but fear mends nothing.

2. Empty hands and a shattered heart.

3. The disciples were with Jesus in the boat, and even so they feared.

4. Sometimes we have Christ in our lives and still let fear rule us.

B. Faith does not remove the storm.

1. Had it been a matter of faith, the hurricane would have gone; but it was not.

2. Faith lets us trust in the midst of it.

3. Bread never failed; the meat was of another quality, but it tasted the same.

4. And we held feasts all the same: life is made of disasters, and we need faith.

C. Jesus is Lord over creation.

1. With a word He calms wind and sea: He is God made man, with absolute authority.

2. The God who controls nature can control the storms of your life.

3. The calm was complete and sudden.

4. Giving Him our fears, He brings the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).