This is a copy of a short ‘homily’ given at Evening Prayer on Tuesday 17 March 2026 for the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. The Bible Reading was Mark 4:35-41 and I entitled my talk Jesus Is With Us In The Storm.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for Your word.
By the power of Your Holy Spirit,
May You speak to my heart,
And change my life.
In the precious name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.

Introduction
Each of us will have experienced storms in our lives – whether spiritual, emotional, psychological or physical. Sometimes these storms throw our lives into complete and total chaos. Times when storms seem so big, and our faith so small.

Times when we feel so swamped and so afraid that we feel we may never survive the storm that has come our way. Many of you have experienced the most unimaginable storms in recent weeks. This evening, I want to briefly share three points with you from Mark 4:35-41.

Storms Will Come

Storms on the Sea of Galilee creep up suddenly and without warning. When the disciples boarded the boat that evening, the sea was calm, but it only took a few moments for the situation to change. And when the winds picked up and the waves crashed over the boat, the disciples, even the disciples who had Jesus in the boat with them, were afraid.

That’s also true with storms in our own lives. It only takes a split second for our lives to change; for everything to be flipped upside down. When storms come our way, they bring out strong emotions of fear and uncertainty.

You may have lost your job, suffered an unexpected bereavement, or severe illness, or you may find yourself in the middle of a family crisis or in the midst of a war zone. Each of us will be struggling with our own personal storms at this time. But with faith in Jesus, we can be assured that no matter how bad things get …

Jesus Is With Us In The Storm

Jesus is with us in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. He will always be there to calm the storms in our lives. To give us a supernatural peace that passes all understanding. A peace that enables us to be strong and courageous when there is chaos all around us. Jesus is always there to strengthen and comfort us.

Some of you may be familiar with this poem (Footprints):

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

A lot of people feel that the greatest phrase in this poem is the last line where the Lord says: “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

And while I agree that it is a wonderful phrase, it’s not the best part to me. The best part to me is that during the rest of this person’s life, there were two sets of footprints in the sand. These two sets of footprints remind me, on this Saint Patrick’s Day, some of the words of the Prayer of Saint Patrick:

Christ with me
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ on my right
Christ on my left

 Storms Will Go!

I don’t know about you, but I have never experienced a storm of life that has hung around forever. We can always take hope in the fact, that no matter how bad things seem, storms will pass.

Jesus’ disciples, despite many of them being seasoned fishermen, thought this storm might signal the end of their lives – not too dissimilar to some of you, perhaps. But Jesus brought calm in their lives in a time of trouble, and he can do the same for us, too.

I’m reminded of those words from Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Conclusion

During storms in our lives, it’s good to remind ourselves to draw closer to Jesus and to put our trust in God’s sovereign plan for our lives, and his world, even when we don’t understand his plans and purposes. It’s good to remind ourselves that God is by our side through whatever storm comes our way. It’s good to remind ourselves to deepen our faith in Jesus.

As Manisha from CCJA posted on her FB page: Faith is not always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it is simply the quiet decision to trust when certainty is impossible.

And even in the midst of our storms, through a deeper trust and the prayers of the saints, God often gives us an extra measure of grace, and he often uses the storms of life to lead us a new purpose, a new beginning and a new vision.

In writing my talk for this evening, I was reminded of the words I posted on the Diocesan Website (and quoted in the UK Church Times!) after attending the Jerusalem Majma in Jordan in November last year:

I have a greater understanding of what we mean when we use the word hope as Christians. Not hope in the western understanding where we hope things will get better sometime soon – where for many in this region it’s simply not the case – but hope in the New Testament sense which signifies a God-given certainty that is anchored in Jesus Christ and rooted in God’s promises.

And finally, I was brought up in a mining community in the Northeast of England and attended the local Independent Methodist Church as a youngster and I want to finish by reading the words of a hymn we used to sing):

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.