April 16, 2012
Keep your eyes on Jesus and HE calms the storm.
Jesus and his followers are in a boat when a great storm rolls in and the waves began covering the boat. His followers were terrified. And where was Jesus? He was fast asleep. They woke him up saying, "Lord, save us! We will drown!" And Jesus answered, "Why are you afraid? You don't have enough faith." (Matthew 8:26) Then Jesus got up and commanded the wind and waves to become calm—and they did. The disciples had witnessed Jesus healing people, but now they were witnesses to the very forces of nature obeying His voice. Jesus was the instrument the LORD used to reveal Himself to them.
I love how Max Lucado, in Six Hours One Friday, describes the storms of life.
After calming the storm, they arrive to the other side of the lake and two men who lived in the burial caves came out to meet him. These were violent and dangerous men who harassed anyone who dared to walk down their road. They shouted to Jesus, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before the right time?" They knew who Jesus was, and they knew what their final outcome was going to be. Jesus—the Son of God. Hell—their final destination. They said to Jesus, "If you make us leave these men, please send us into the herd of pigs." "If you make us..." They knew Jesus had authority over them. But they weren't "ready" to be released from Satan themselves, so they asked to be sent to the herd of swine so their violence could continue. Jesus told them to "Go!" They went to the swine, and the herd ran down the hill and into the lake and drowned.
The reaction of the people? Were they grateful the men were released from their demons? No, they were upset their herd of swine was gone. Ministry can be messy. People will not always understand or support the truth being revealed.
Next Entry: Matthew 9:1–38
Keep your eyes on Jesus and HE calms the storm.
Jesus and his followers are in a boat when a great storm rolls in and the waves began covering the boat. His followers were terrified. And where was Jesus? He was fast asleep. They woke him up saying, "Lord, save us! We will drown!" And Jesus answered, "Why are you afraid? You don't have enough faith." (Matthew 8:26) Then Jesus got up and commanded the wind and waves to become calm—and they did. The disciples had witnessed Jesus healing people, but now they were witnesses to the very forces of nature obeying His voice. Jesus was the instrument the LORD used to reveal Himself to them.
I love how Max Lucado, in Six Hours One Friday, describes the storms of life.
"If you lose your faith, you will probably do so gradually. In tiny increments you will get spiritually sloppy. You will let a few days slip by without consulting your compass. Your sails will go untrimmed. Your rigging will go unprepared. And worst of all, you will forget to anchor your boat. And, before you know it, you will be bouncing from wave to wave in stormy seas...
Stability in the storm comes not from seeking a new message, but from understanding an old one. The most reliable anchor points are not recent discoveries, but are time-tested truths that have held their ground against the winds of change... Attach your soul to these boulders and no wave is big enough to wash you under."It is not enough to just believe that Jesus is God. Even the demons believe that. What matters is if we have sought forgiveness from Him and whether our lives are surrendered to Him.
After calming the storm, they arrive to the other side of the lake and two men who lived in the burial caves came out to meet him. These were violent and dangerous men who harassed anyone who dared to walk down their road. They shouted to Jesus, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Did you come here to torture us before the right time?" They knew who Jesus was, and they knew what their final outcome was going to be. Jesus—the Son of God. Hell—their final destination. They said to Jesus, "If you make us leave these men, please send us into the herd of pigs." "If you make us..." They knew Jesus had authority over them. But they weren't "ready" to be released from Satan themselves, so they asked to be sent to the herd of swine so their violence could continue. Jesus told them to "Go!" They went to the swine, and the herd ran down the hill and into the lake and drowned.
The reaction of the people? Were they grateful the men were released from their demons? No, they were upset their herd of swine was gone. Ministry can be messy. People will not always understand or support the truth being revealed.
Next Entry: Matthew 9:1–38
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