‘Though a great wildfire may be terrifying and challenging, My soul is always at peace. It is well, it is well with my soul ~’

‘Though a great wildfire may be terrifying and challenging,

My soul is always at peace. It is well, it is well with my soul ~’

"Because such a large crowd had gathered, Jesus got into a boat and sat in it while the crowd remained on the shore. He taught them many things in parables (Mark 4:1-2, Modern Korean Bible). That evening, He said to His disciples, 'Let us go over to the other side of the sea.' So, the disciples left the crowd behind and set off with Jesus in the boat. Suddenly, a great storm arose, and waves crashed over the boat, threatening to sink it. Meanwhile, Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The terrified disciples woke Him up, shouting, 'Teacher, don't You care that we are about to perish?' Jesus got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down, and it became completely calm. He then said to His disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' The disciples were terrified and asked each other, 'Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?' (Mark 4:35-41, Modern Korean Bible). As I reflect on this passage, several thoughts come to mind:

When I read the verse that says the boat the disciples were on with Jesus was caught in a 'sudden great storm' with waves crashing over it, threatening to sink the boat (Mark 4:37, Modern Korean Bible), it reminded me of the story of the prophet Jonah. The ship Jonah was on also encountered a 'great wind' sent by God, causing a 'violent storm' that nearly broke the ship apart (Jonah 1:4). It also made me think about the wildfires I learned about yesterday morning, on Wednesday. For example, there’s a wildfire not too far from our neighborhood. The wind is so strong that the fire is spreading rapidly, and containment remains at 0%. Many homes, buildings, and other structures have been burned to ashes, and lives have reportedly been lost. Thus, the year 2025 has started with great challenges (a major disaster). In this way, our journey through life can also be suddenly met with significant hardships.
As I reflected further on the verse stating that the boat the disciples were on with Jesus was about to sink (Mark 4:37, Modern Korean Bible), I vaguely recalled something from about 22 years ago. At a Church Renewal Association retreat held at the Ansan Retreat Center in Korea, the late Pastor Han-Um Ok used the metaphor of a ship to describe the Korean church. He said something along the lines of how this 'ship' (the church) was sinking. I remember him saying that if our church leaders lower the standards, the Korean church would collapse, much like a sinking ship. Perhaps because of that memory, as I was taking photos and videos of the wildfire and sharing them with people online and through KakaoTalk, the lyrics of the gospel hymn “Revival” suddenly came to mind. It was a song we had offered to God during last week’s Wednesday service (https://youtu.be/P2ZkvRqUHVI?si=AaCILCU-5_hlSRij) and on Sunday: 'Let the fire of revival burn,' 'Let the wind of the Spirit blow ….' Seeing this great disaster and crisis, I have been, and continue to be, praying that the wind of the Holy Spirit will blow upon our church leaders, igniting the flames of revival. My conviction is that true revival, brought about by the Holy Spirit, begins with repentance. Church leaders like myself must tear our hearts and return to God (see Joel 2:13) [Repentance, Reconciliation, Restoration, Reformation, Revival. Without repentance, reconciliation, restoration, reformation, and revival are meaningless!].
As I reflected on the verse stating that despite the boat being about to sink, Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion (Mark 4:38, Modern Korean Bible), I was reminded of something my beloved wife said to me yesterday. Normally, my wife sleeps well while I have trouble sleeping. However, on Tuesday night, the wind was so strong that it felt like our house was shaking (possibly Santa Ana winds blowing at 75 mph?), yet, according to my wife, I slept so soundly. Haha. When I heard that, I found it a bit hard to believe, but I was thankful to the Lord for granting me deep sleep in the midst of it all. However, as I read and reflect on Mark 4:38 today, I believe that even when we find ourselves in the midst of great difficulties, we should have the peace of heart that the Lord gives—enough to rest deeply, just as Jesus did. I pray that the Lord will extend this blessing of peace to all of us living here in Southern California, where the chaos caused by the wildfires continues.
When the boat was about to sink, Jesus was peacefully sleeping, but His disciples seemed to be gripped by the fear of death. That’s likely why they woke Jesus up, crying out, 'Teacher, don’t You care that we are about to die?' (Mark 4:38, Modern Korean Bible). But did Jesus truly ignore His disciples? Of course not! How could God ever ignore the disciples He loves? It’s impossible! In the same way, God is not ignoring His children who are now facing great hardships due to the wildfires. Yet, like the disciples, if we are consumed by the fear of death, we too might misunderstand the Lord. The Bible clearly tells us that our Lord is 'Immanuel,' which means 'God with us' (Matthew 1:23, Modern Korean Bible). So why is it that we cannot overcome the fear of death with the faith of Immanuel?
Our Immanuel Lord is the almighty Creator God. When He rebuked the wind and commanded the sea, 'Quiet! Be still!' even the wind and the sea obeyed Him, and the wind died down, and the sea became completely calm (Mark 4:39, 41, Modern Korean Bible). In the same way, when great difficulties in our lives cause us to lose peace in our hearts, and our hearts are shaken by the storms and waves of life, our Lord speaks to us, saying, 'Peace be with you' (see John 20:19). With these words, He calms the storms and waves in our hearts, bringing stillness and tranquility to our troubled souls (see Psalm 131:2, Modern Korean Bible). I pray that this great blessing will be with God’s children who are facing significant challenges due to the wildfires.
Jesus, who calmed the great storm and the waves, asked His disciples, 'Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' (Mark 4:40, Modern Korean Bible). I believe that Jesus was pointing out that the disciples' lack of faith made their souls uneasy, causing them to be filled with fear of death. In reality, when we do not fully trust the Lord and remain in doubt, our souls do not quietly focus on the Lord alone. As a result, we may allow our hearts to be overwhelmed by great storms and waves, just like the disciples. We must pay close attention to the words in Isaiah 30:15 from the Modern Korean Bible: “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,' but you would have none of it.'”
The disciples of Jesus were greatly afraid. The reason was that they were astonished by who Jesus was, to the point that even the wind and the sea obeyed Him (Mark 4:41, Modern Korean Bible). They did not fully know who their Teacher, Jesus, was. Because of this, they could not believe in Him as much as they did not know Him. Despite Jesus being with them in the boat, they were not able to rest peacefully with the faith of Immanuel, like Jesus did, and instead were seized by the fear of death. This should not be our situation. No matter the circumstance, we should be able to praise God in faith, saying: “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul” (Hymn, “When Peace, Like a River, Attendeth My Way,” verse 1 and refrain).