August 12, 2021
Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
CONSIDER THIS
If you are thinking, “He’s about to invite us yet again to come to the New Room Conference,” you would be wrong. Seedbed is not our sponsor. Our sponsor is Jesus. I woke early with a strong sense of a word from him for you; a Second Half of the Gospel Challenge Series-interrupting-word. It’s the beauty of writing the Daily Text in real time. Though all this material ultimately winds downloaded in books, it always arrives as a live stream.
So, to the word from our sponsor, Jesus. He wants you to know that he sees the storm you are facing right now. And while it rages on, it may seem like he is far from you—nowhere to be found. How could he be so distant and silent in the midst of this ship-wrecking storm all around you? Maybe the cancer came back or the marriage is failing or the business is collapsing or the prodigal daughter went past the point of no return or the grandson perished. These storms rage everywhere all around us all the time. They are the norm, not the exception.
Here is the word from our sponsor, Jesus:
I am with you. I am not distant or far from you. I am in the boat, sleeping. The problem is not that the storm is raging all around you (though that is a problem). It is that the storm has gotten inside of you. These waves may do irreparable damage, but I will redeem it. What the enemy meant for evil I will turn to good. I AM THE PEACE OF GOD, the one who sleeps in the storm, and though I am with you, I will come closer. Welcome me to come within you, from the stern to the helm.
Just as I spoke to the storm on the sea, now I speak to the storm in you,
“Quiet! Be still!”
Give audible voice to those words. He is speaking them into you. Though the outside circumstances may not change today or tomorrow or ever. . . he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world . . . and he is able to guard your heart and your mind and keep you in his Peace. . . and make you his Peace to those around you—in a way that cannot be explained or even understood.
“I am the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18)
We will get back to our series tomorrow.
THE PRAYER
Lord Jesus, it’s the pillow that gets me. Who brings a pillow to a storm? Only you. I receive your word, “Quiet! Be Still!” I claim them and speak them in unison with your voice over this storm: “Quiet! Be Still!” I speak to the waves, “Though you may wreck this ship, you shall not wreck this soul.” Come Holy Spirit, and Let Jesus arise in me and make me his presence to others on these stormy seas of life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
THE QUESTION
Who might Jesus want you to share this word with today?
For the Awakening,
J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com
3 Responses
As I was in prayer and meditation this morning, I too, received a word from the Lord. I was reminded of the many passages of Scripture that say that God will shake the very foundations of both Heaven and Earth; that only the only place of refuge was in Jesus and his cross. I’ve been reading several books lately that challenge the status quo of how we experience Christianity here in America. The one thing every author has in common is their exposure to Christianity on the foreign mission field. Apparently it takes the experience of stepping outside the “Christian bubble “ here in the states to realize how far removed our faith practices appear when compared with those whose faith more resembles that which we see described in Scripture. I believe the storms of life we are now facing here in the states is God’s way of shaking our comfortable conformity with the pagan culture around us. Just knowing the reason behind the present chaos gives me the assurance that God is indeed, still in control and that we remain secure as long as we abide in Christ. I have peace.
Thank you! My biggest struggle has been moving from the unexpected storm I find myself in to the One who always has more to give. I’m getting there. It is always about that pesky gain/loss equation. It is why I have had to completely walk away from the church which used to be my port in the storm of life but is currently its own storm of uncertainty. It is now doing many “new things” but still failed to get me from where I was to where I needed to be. For that, I had to step head on into the crucible of God’s creativity and learn to live in it. Running an antique mall in the middle of a pandemic and a time of political uncertainty has become my port in the storm.
I’m amazed daily how God Works thought each of us. He give words of hope, encouragement, and fellowship to one of us to share with another. On this day I needed those words God have you. He knew that I would listening to the daily text on the way to work. My son was place in the hospital for the second time in 3 weeks. Mental crisis. My felt alone in the boat that morning (car). Could not see what direction to go or what direction I was heading in. I said “Be Quite “ 3 times may be more. Then the peace came. It was the waves, the wind, and the noise of this storm suddenly was gone. Felt and was able to feel the love of Jesus. His arms holding me and my wife tight and saying He’s with our son too. We are never alone!