Date: 02-25-2020

Title:
Believing What Jesus Says

(S) cripture:
    Mark 4:35-41 (NASB77) And on that day, when evening had come, He •said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 And leaving the multitude, they •took Him along with them, just as He was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him. 37 And there •arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38 And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they •awoke Him and •said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

(O) bservation:
    Jesus has told the disciples that they are going to the other side of the lake. When the storm came the disciples panicked and woke Jesus with cries that they were about to drown. Jesus calms the storm and reminds the disciples of what he had said before. Did they not believe him about going to the other side or in the middle of a storm just forget what he said. I choose to think they just forgot. This was a great lesson in faith for them even as they wondered just who Jesus really was.

(A) pplication:
    The Lord has made promises about accomplishing His purposes in my life and ministry. There are times that storms come and I wonder if I am about to drown in the circumstances. As a pastor I am often placed in storms that are not my making but must be addressed. I also find myself in storms that I created. In both situations I need to be reminded that Jesus calms the storms and my responsibility is to trust Him. I need to remember that Jesus is master of the storm. He was not alarmed by the storm, in fact, He was resting during the storm. Today I want that rest and confidence that comes through exercising my faith in the Master of the storm.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, today I want to trust you and allow you to handle the storms I face. Give me courage not to panic but rather to trust you. When you rest let me rest, too. Grant me the strength to follow and not be afraid. Amen