By David R. Ferguson
In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus and the disciples are in the midst of a great storm. When called upon by His disciples who were in mortal terror for their very lives, Jesus answered their pleas, and out of the raging wind and the roaring waves, the storm was quieted by the Master. Even so, the disciples were amazed and still had no clue Whom this Jesus was (and is).
What about you? How do you respond when you find yourself in a similar situation, and the storms of life are seen to be raging all around you? Do you expect Jesus to answer you out of the storm raging in the midst of a world that is crashing in all around you? And when Jesus does answer, what do you expect?
I think people expect God to calm the storm that is raging all around us, but what God wants to do is calm the storm raging within us. It’s the calm that’s within us which is what the Apostle Paul says is “the peace that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). It’s this calm and peace which powers us through the storms of life. When Jesus died on the Cross FOR YOU and when Jesus rose from the grave FOR YOU, Jesus paved the way FOR YOU to make it through the storm. Jesus already has won the victory FOR YOU when He rose triumphantly from the grave. The storms may seem to be overwhelmingly strong, but they have lost their power, for Jesus is already in the boat with you. So what do you need to do? You need to truly trust in the Lord.
Why is it that God chooses to heal some people, and not others? The answer is we may not ever know. But we do know that the best course of action for us to take always is to trust that God is the best pathway for us. I am reminded of the powerful passage in the Book of Job, when God addressed all of the questions Job raised during his own terrible predicament, where nothing made sense. Who am I to think I have control over anything? As a human being, I am weak and fickle; I don’t even have control over my own emotions! On one day, I can feel so blessed by God; on the next day, the smallest thing could cause my heart to be weighed down.
Who is like God? He created and rules the whole universe. Life and death are in His Hands. We need to simply trust in God, for He is the Creator. When we do so, we will realize wholeheartedly that our salvation always comes from our God.
In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus and the disciples are in the midst of a great storm. When called upon by His disciples who were in mortal terror for their very lives, Jesus answered their pleas, and out of the raging wind and the roaring waves, the storm was quieted by the Master. Even so, the disciples were amazed and still had no clue Whom this Jesus was (and is).
What about you? How do you respond when you find yourself in a similar situation, and the storms of life are seen to be raging all around you? Do you expect Jesus to answer you out of the storm raging in the midst of a world that is crashing in all around you? And when Jesus does answer, what do you expect?
I think people expect God to calm the storm that is raging all around us, but what God wants to do is calm the storm raging within us. It’s the calm that’s within us which is what the Apostle Paul says is “the peace that surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). It’s this calm and peace which powers us through the storms of life. When Jesus died on the Cross FOR YOU and when Jesus rose from the grave FOR YOU, Jesus paved the way FOR YOU to make it through the storm. Jesus already has won the victory FOR YOU when He rose triumphantly from the grave. The storms may seem to be overwhelmingly strong, but they have lost their power, for Jesus is already in the boat with you. So what do you need to do? You need to truly trust in the Lord.
Why is it that God chooses to heal some people, and not others? The answer is we may not ever know. But we do know that the best course of action for us to take always is to trust that God is the best pathway for us. I am reminded of the powerful passage in the Book of Job, when God addressed all of the questions Job raised during his own terrible predicament, where nothing made sense. Who am I to think I have control over anything? As a human being, I am weak and fickle; I don’t even have control over my own emotions! On one day, I can feel so blessed by God; on the next day, the smallest thing could cause my heart to be weighed down.
Who is like God? He created and rules the whole universe. Life and death are in His Hands. We need to simply trust in God, for He is the Creator. When we do so, we will realize wholeheartedly that our salvation always comes from our God.
- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Mentor Church
of Christ in Mentor, OH. He may be contacted through
the congregation's website: http://mentorchurchofchrist.com/
or davidferguson61@yahoo.com
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