Isaiah 55:6 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”
Last night, I was able to sit in church for our mid-week service. Usually I am involved in the children’s ministries on Wednesdays, but due to spring break, there were no children’s activities. Our youth pastor spoke on Mark 4:35-5:1, and the message reinforced what I had been hearing the past few Sundays. Here are a few nuggets I gleaned from the message.
As the disciples headed for the far shore of Galilee in a small boat, a fierce storm arose of which the fishermen were very fearful. As I thought about the situation, it occurred to me that these men must have faced many storms in their lives since they were fishermen by trade, and they were always out on the Sea of Galilee. Therefore, this must have been a very violent storm to instill fear in them. As they battled the waves, Jesus slept in the hinder part of the boat, seemingly unaware of the tempest the men were facing. Once awakened, Jesus asked, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). They had forgotten the promises of God.
Many times, I am just like the disciples. I am fearful; I have no faith. When hard times come, I question God by asking, “Why me? Why my family? Why am I the one suffering?” I, too, have forgotten the promises of God. In Isaiah 12:2, the Bible records “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” Again in chapter 41, the prophet writes “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” There are a plethora of verses where God promises to watch over me, care for me, protect me… That is what I need to remember! I may think that God has forgotten me, or that He doesn’t care about me, but nothing could be further from the truth! God sees me, cares about me, and loves me! I need to remember that God always keeps His word. If He said He would take care of me, He will do it!
As the disciples were being tossed to and fro in their tiny ships, they forgot another important fact. Jesus was with them! Mark 4:35 tells us that Jesus said, “Let us pass over unto the other side.” When he expressed the desire to cross Galilee, it was with the disciples. He did not send them alone; He was with them. However, when the seas became rough, Jesus was out of sight, and they forgot about He was there. They forgot about the presence of God.
The Bible tells me that God is always with me. In Exodus 33:14, God reminded Moses “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” David faced great trials in his life, and he was able to write in Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” During his most difficult times, David remembered the presence of God. Jesus Himself stated in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” No matter what I am facing, I never face it alone. God’s Spirit dwells within me. As Jesus was with the disciples during the storm, so is He with me through the storms in my life, and He is the one who will help me through them. He always has; He always will!
Lastly, the Bible records Jesus simply speaking the words “Peace, be still,” and the storm immediately subsided. There was no tapering off of the winds and waves, but when the power of God came forth from the mouth of Jesus, the tempest immediately ceased. All was calm. The disciples were stunned. They had forgotten about the power of God.
There are many times in my life where I forget about God’s power. I struggle to do everything in my own strength. I depend on me alone. Bad choice. I fail to remember that I have been given access to almighty God and His power through Christ. I am reminded of Luke 17 where Jesus tells the disciples if they had faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, they could move mountains. I shudder to think to what item’s size would my faith be compared. There is nothing too difficult for God to handle! The Lord Himself says in Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” Jesus reinforced this when He said, “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” There is nothing that can happen in my life that God cannot handle, be it cancer, financial woes, family troubles… my God is powerful enough to take care of anything that comes my way! It is my responsibility to trust Him to do so.
The last point of the message focused on Mark 5:1 “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.” The journey began when Jesus said He and the disciples needed to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and it culminated with their safe arrival. Despite the problems they encountered, Jesus saw them safely to the other side. He had a purpose for His disciples to fulfill, and He made sure they got to where they needed to be to do so. My life is the same. While I am on my life’s journey, I must remember that Jesus has a purpose for me in the places to which He directs me to go, and He will make sure I arrive there safely to do that which He has called me to do. Whether or not I have a clear vision of it, I know God has a purpose for me, and it is my responsibility as a follower of Christ to fulfill that purpose.
One day, I will safely arrive at my final destination with Jesus, and what a glorious day that will be! Until I get to “the other side,” I must remain aware of God’s promises, His presence, His power, and His purpose for me!
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
*********
How has knowing that God has a vested interest in your life changed you?