[The following devotional is a part of our 2015 Easter Season Devotional Book “Passion Road.” We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between February 18 – April 5, 2014.]
Calms the Storm by Jonathan Holmes
Read: Mark 4:35-41 (cf. Luke 8:22-25, Matthew 8:23-27)
I love the disciples. The disciples were the 12 men that Jesus called to leave their jobs and to physically follow him full-time. These disciples spent most of their time with Jesus, but yet they continually missed what Jesus was teaching and even who Jesus is. I love the disciples, because if they can be called followers of Jesus then I just might stand a fighting chance.
We don’t see Jesus resting often in the book of Mark. We’ve seen him teaching into the night and praying before sunrise, but this is the first time that Jesus is mentioned to be sleeping. So you would think that he is asleep in a dark and quiet place, but it is in fact the exact opposite. “And a great windstorm arose…and the boat was already filling.” Being filled with fear, the disciples go to the sleeping Jesus and woke Him up.
When Jesus awakes, he offers two rebukes. The first to the storm saying, “Peace! Be still!” The second rebuke is to His disciples, who even though they called Him Teacher, they did not understand His teaching. Despite the tutoring of Jesus, it had not hit them that the authority and power of God was present in Him. The disciples failed to realize that the protective presence of Jesus was more powerful than any storm, so they had no reason to fear.
When the storms of life come my way it can be easy for me to lose sight of the one who has promised to never leave me (Deut. 31:6, John 14:25-26). In these moments of doubt I am afraid that God has let me go and consequently I have begun spinning out of control. It is in this story that I connect with the disciples in their fear. Im not left there though. I am ushered into the same moment of awe they felt when they said, “Who is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?” Jesus has complete rule and power over creation. Although at times we struggle with doubt in His protective presence, may we rest in the wonderful awe that this power brings.
Questions:
- How have you felt the protective presence of Jesus in your life?
- Have you had a moment or two when you doubted the power or protection of God? Were any of these moments filled with storms in your life?
Prayers for Lent
- Thank the Lord for the incredible power that he showed during His life on earth.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal doubt that you have in the power of God.