WHEN CHAOS COMES A KNOCKIN'...

When we open God's Word and study the life of Jesus, we find many occasions when He turns chaos into calmness. The first example that comes to mind is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 2 that reads:  

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. ³ When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.  ⁹ When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

The Jewish wedding feast was the climatic end to the Jewish wedding, which often went on for several days. To run out of wine would be seen as a terrible omen and the groom and his family would be shamed for such an incident. But in the middle of the chaos that surrounded this wedding party, Jesus stepped in and turned the chaotic situation into a calm matter of saving the last wine as the best wine.

There are many more examples I could sight of Jesus taking a chaotic situation and bringing about a calm outcome that set hearts and minds at ease....from feeding the five thousand and having twelve baskets of leftovers(now that's really stretching a meal) to what I think is the best example of Jesus ability to bring about calm in the midst of chaos found in Mark 4:35-41 which reads:

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

So how do you view Jesus as one who brings about calmness when you are standing in the midst of a chaotic situation? I think the Psalmist hit the nail on the head when he wrote in Psalms 46:1, NET

God is our strong refuge; He is truly our helper in times of trouble.

So when chaos stands ready to disrupt and break your lines of communication with the Father...JESUS STANDS AT THE READY AS YOUR REFUGE! He has proven himself to be our present helper in chaotic times and to bring us a sense of calm repose as we lean into Him and trust His outcome. OUR GOD IS A GOD OF ORDER...NOT CHAOS! AND ALL WE NEED DO TO SEE THAT IS TO JUST TAKE A LOOK AROUND AT OUR WORLD...THE SUN RISES EACH DAY AND SETS EACH EVENING; THE MOON SHINES WITHOUT ANY POWER OF ITS OWN; AND WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, AND HE IS OUR STRONG TOWER...OUR GREATEST HELP WHEN CHAOS SEEKS TO DESTROY US.

So next time chaos comes knocking at your door, don't run and hide, rather...RUN TO THE FATHER AND HE WILL BRING CALMNESS TO YOUR SPIRIT AND OVERCOME THE CHAOS THAT WOULD ENSUE....FOR HE HAS PROMISED THAT HE WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU, NEVER FORSAKE YOU AND ALWAYS KEEP YOU SHELTERED UNDER HIS MIGHTY WINGS....

SO TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND LET HIS CALM FILL YOUR BODY, MIND AND SOUL....AND KNOW THIS; THE MORE YOU TRUST IN HIM, THE EASIER IT WILL BECOME TO REMAIN CALM...WHEN CHAOS COMES A KNOCKIN'.

Seeking the CALM... Only Christ can Give,

WPQ