Image from danielmelvilljones.com
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’ (Mark 4:35-41) Good day, dear Friend! I trust this finds you in the calm of the day, when God can speak to you and share with you that which your spirit needs today. May it be found in His word and in the words of this servant.
The Sea of Galilee is a beautiful place to be. Nellie and I were blessed to spend three nights on its shore in a very nice resort. The sea is also called a lake, and it is nestled in a valley of sorts, with mountains in just the right places to allow the wind to do some scary things, like the storm in this passage. A simple crossing from one side to the other is long enough for a nap and long enough for a storm to make itself known on the normally quiet waters. This great gale that arose brought with it huge waves, as the illustration above shows. One can only imagine that a boat would not last long in such a storm. Though some of the disciples were professional fishermen, and experienced boatmen, this storm was more than they could handle. The storm found them in a panic, while Jesus slept soundly on a cushion. Their fear drove them to wake Jesus up and to ask the question, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" Jesus woke up and calmed the storm. The Message version says that "the wind ran out of breath, and the sea became like glass." The words of Jesus were "Peace! Be still!" Those words might as well have been directed to the disciples, for Jesus said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" Have you stopped to consider how many times God, Jesus, and angels have come with the same message? Do you remember when God visited Adam and Eve in the garden after they had disobeyed Him and ate from the forbidden fruit; what did the man say to God? "We were afraid?" Since that day, humanity has had to put up with fear. The angel comes to Mary to announce her role in Jesus' birth and his words were "Be not afraid." And it may just be that those words come to you saying the same thing: "Why are you afraid?"
You may have a list. You may have no idea of what to answer, but you may still fear a bit unsure or uneasy about today and the things expected of you. Hear Jesus speaking His word of peace and power; for the Man who calmed the sea is the Man at your side. No storm, no gale force winds can harm you, for with Jesus, the wind will run out of breath! And the sea will become smooth as glass. I have shared how my mom, dad, and grandmother all prayed for me while I was still in college. I was walking on unexplored territory when it came to our family. I, after all, was the one who said I would sign up for 40 hours thinking college hours were the same as work week hours. What decent person doesn't want to work 40 hours? And imagine the anxiety on the upcoming first exam of my college career! I was told I needed to bring a blue book. I searched through my stack of new books and none of them was blue, and certainly not the one I had bought for my class! Thankfully, I was not too shy to ask a classmate, "What blue book are we talking about for the exam?" The classmate walked me to the school bookstore and showed me the stack of Blue Books, the college exam books for sale for all students. Aw! said I; now I know. The blue book did not calm the storm; but a call home to ask for prayer did. And so did studying. And my own prayers. The storm was nothing to fear for I was ready, thanks to the Lord.
Dear one, what storms are you facing today? Are there gale force winds coming your way? Guess what, with the Lord walking beside you and in you, that storm, like the wind, is going to run out of breath! And your spirit will be renewed by the breath of the Living One who gives us new life. So, in the Name of Jesus, hear again the words that the Bible shares so often from God (who truly means it!): Be not afraid!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in Your hands you hold this dear reader. You know the storms or the dangers of storms in their life, but You, who calmed the sea, can calm the nerves and heart of this dear reader and share with them the calm and peace that will bless them today. Be glorified in our lives we pray, in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Share those words with someone today: Be not afraid. God will direct you to them and you will know who needs to hear that today.
Eradio Valverde
