Verse of the Day 1/27

Verse of the Day 1/27

 

Mark 4:40-41 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" ⁴¹ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that eventhe wind and the sea obey him?" English Standard Version (ESV)

We have been considering how Jesus keeps watch over us while we are to be watchful for Him while we ourselves are watching over others.  God has proven Himself in the past in our lives but storms still come up and we are often filled with fear in the midst of these storms.

Sometimes these storms can be defining moments in our lives, more by how we react to them than the storms themselves.  These defining moments themselves don't define us but the way we react to them, the way we persevere and the way we watch over, encourage and challenge others to be overcomers are what ends up defining us.

We can probably look back in our lives and see some of these moments.  I can look back at several.  One was when my son Jason was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  We had no idea of what was ahead.  Jason was not defined by that storm but he can be defined by his faith, which enabled him to trust and to persevere to push forward in his life.  He recently received his doctorate and is married with a beautiful wife and daughter and  is teaching others, sharing with his students what God has done for him.  And by the way, there is no longer any evidence of his tumor.  Truly a miracle.

In today's verses Jesus had just calmed the storm and the disciples stood back and were amazed.  This had to be a defining moment from them.  It wasn't the event itself but it was what Jesus had done in there lives.  They would go on and continue in faith.  I thought of these verses when listening and singing along to "Be Still My Soul, In You I Rest"

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

In you I rest, in You I found my hope,

In you I trust, You never let me go.

I place my life within your hands alone.

Be still my soul.

Blessings,
Mike
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Mark 4:35-41The Message (MSG)

The Wind Ran Out of Breath

^35-38 Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side." They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"

^39-40 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?"

⁴¹ They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"