Devotion for Thursday 3/26
Our Father will always make a way. He will make sure that you will get to your divine appointment – and then let all Heaven break loose.
Read Luke 8:22-56 (this Scripture passage is available at the end of this devotion).
As we all try to bring meaning to events not only in our country, but around the world, we must remember that we are God’s children. This is what we can rest in, as we trust in His will to make all things work together for our good.
But until we have understanding, and until our Father reveals his path of making all things good – we must make sure we live in His blessing now. Disillusionment, a lost feeling, or feeling rudderless in a sea of uncertainty is not what Jesus wants for us – we must remember that He is in the boat, that He is with us.
I am reminded of the time when Jesus led His followers into a boat.
22 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”LK 8:22-25
There are times when Jesus leads us into a boat to sail the sea, and we find ourselves in a situation that we don’t want to be in, where we can’t get out of it, and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Well, that is how you would describe, “The Storm.”
The Storm can hit you at anytime, anywhere, and without notice. The Storm will expose you. The rain will fall, the winds will blow, and the waves will pound you. Your nerves will be on edge with the lightening and thunder. And it seems that all you can do – is just hold on.
And all the while Jesus is sleeping. We cry out to Him to try to make sense of it all, and it seems as though he is not hearing us, as if He doesn’t care.
You may handle The Storm by being the one holding on even when others are giving up around you. You are standing in faith. You are the one that is trying to keep it all together.
But the events around you are taking it’s toll. You pray in faith and yet the waves are getting higher. You are holding on, but why isn’t Jesus waking up?
The rain is not letting up and it is very uncomfortable in soaking wet clothes, and it’s getting wetter. The winds are blowing and that last lightening bolt did hit pretty close.
The doubts start creeping in. “Why aren’t my prayers answered? Maybe I am trusting, but what if the boat sinks after all?
You may handle The Storm by giving up, hiding in the corner, and waiting for the end. The thoughts are running through your head; “If Jesus doesn’t care, what chance do we have? If He didn’t wake up now, will He ever wake up?”
You called to Him in prayer, and even gave a couple of screams in fear, but not one answer. Doubts about His love toward you creep in and you feel He doesn’t care after all. You want to give up and wait for the end.
And you will do whatever, because “if He doesn’t care, why should I?”
You may handle The Storm by depending on yourself. You will find the answers and handle the situation on your own. Your motto is, “God helps those who help themselves.” And you don’t need anyone else and you don’t need anyone else’s charity.
You will meet The Storm head on, defiant that you will beat it. You will beat the wind and the waves, you will stick your face to the rain until it ends.
The only problem is that you can’t control the boat. The Storm won’t let you. And if the boat sinks, you will sink with it, alone.
And all the while Jesus is sleeping. We cry out to Him to try to make sense of it all, and it seems as though he is not hearing us, as if He doesn’t care.
You are in The Storm; you are worn out, really freaked, and there is nothing left inside. All you can do is hold on. (And maybe scream a few times).
But then something happens…
Jesus gets up and commands the storm to stop. It’s over. Everything is still. The sea is at peace and all is safe. The quiet is overwhelming. It happened so quickly that it is absolutely stunning.
Then Jesus says to his disciples:
“Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Matt. 8:26.
Jesus’ question is so intriguing. After this terrifying experience He doesn’t comfort them, or even give them a pep talk like, ” I know you were freaked out of your mind, but you did your best.” Or, “I know you were screaming like a bunch of sissies, but I believe in you.”
No, Jesus didn’t comfort them, He challenged them. He was challenging them to think about what just happened. To understand what just happened. This was one of those “learning moments.”
My first reaction would have been (after checking to see if everyone was still on the boat), “Why am I fearful? Why am I fearful? No disrespect Lord, but while You were sleeping, we were fighting the wind, the rain and we were about to be engulfed by the waves. Even Peter was screaming like a girl. I’m telling You, it was all over. It was all over!”
But come to think about it, it wasn’t all over. Even with everything that just happened, everyone was safe.
So Jesus’ question still stands:
“Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Matt. 8:26.
The Storm exposed them. They failed in faith and were fearful because their faith didn’t rest in Jesus, but in the circumstances around them. They believed what The Storm was doing, instead of in Jesus who lead them into the boat in the first place.
They failed in faith and were fearful, because they were mistaken to interpret the silence of Jesus as that He didn’t care about them or the situation. They mistakenly thought that Jesus’ silence meant that Jesus was not active in the events surrounding them.
They failed in faith and were fearful because they didn’t have a full understanding of who Jesus really is. They actually needed The Storm to understand Jesus more fully. They needed The Storm to understand that Jesus was Lord over The Storm.
They failed in faith and were fearful because they forgot that the boat was not going to sink, because Jesus was in the boat. Duh.
The lesson? I would rather be in a fishing boat in the middle of the sea, in the midst of a raging storm if Jesus is in the boat, than be on a huge aircraft carrier on calm waters if Jesus is not in the boat. The safest place to be is with Jesus, no matter what the situation, even if it seems like He is sleeping.
Jesus is active to save you, sustain you, bless you, and lift you up even during The Storm. So make sure you do the right thing, even when it looks like all is lost. Keep on praying, keep in the Scriptures, and keep going to Church. And please – take the time to enjoy life.
Be assured: THE STORM WILL STOP. It will be OK. It will only go for so long. Jesus will lead you to calm waters, and His blessings of peace will overwhelm you.
You will behold the majesty of your LORD because of the storm. And you will realize He is LORD over any and all circumstances you may encounter, even the wind, rain, and the waves – and even with the mess we have today.
For the poet says:
Thank you O’ Storm
for what you desired did not happen.
Your work failed in it’s intent.
The rain didn’t stop us,
The wind would not hold us back,
And the waves did not overwhelm us.Thank you O’ Storm
for your power
revealed a greater power,
The power of my Lord
And your Lord.
If you did not come
I would have never known,
I would have never seen,
Christ in his majesty
commanding you to cease.And O’ Storm
you now know and understand,
that when Jesus is in the boat
It is under His command.
it will not sink,
it will not fail,
and it will not be held back.
And with unfurled sail,
gliding through calm waters,
it will reach it’s desired haven -
Jesus, the lover of my soul.
A Kingdom Principle
The Kingdom of God is not limited by the kingdom of man. Therefore, one must see above what others see, and live that Kingdom reality so that others can see.
Luke 8:22-56
Wind and Wave Obey Jesus
22 Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. 23 But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. 24 And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 But He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!”
A Demon-Possessed Man Healed
26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
30 Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”
And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.
32 Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. 33 Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.
34 When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. 37 Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.
38 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
40 So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. 41 And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. 43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer;your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”
50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.
54 But He put them all outside,took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. 56 And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.
