BIBLE PASSAGE:
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?”
(Mark 4:38)
MEDITATION:
“Does Jesus really care about me?”
It’s a question that countless people have probably asked themselves.
During good times we might not have concerns about Jesus caring
about us, but whenever we are experiencing bad times, this might
be the first question we ask.
Financial difficulties, sicknesses, job or family stresses, loss of a loved one,
depression, worry, a wayward child, loneliness, mistreatment from others,
feelings of hopelessness – any of these can cause someone to ask about the
presence, the concern, and the compassion of Jesus.
When we have a friend who is visible, we can ask them directly if they care,
but for the unseen Jesus, asking and receiving an answer can be a challenge
can’t it? Jesus may give us an answer in ways we never expected, or fully
understand.
For instance,
He may give us unexpected strength to cope with the
situation that is causing us to doubt His love for us.
He may put someone in our path who says
exactly what we need to hear at the time.
He may use our distress to create
a greater desire in us to grow closer to Him.
Our current struggle may be His preparation
to use us for ministering to others in the future.
His disciples were on a boat in the sea with a great storm raging around
them. They were doing everything they could physically do to keep the
boat from being destroyed in the storm, but they were losing the battle
and they were afraid – it was becoming a matter of life or death. They
felt helpless and where was Jesus during this time of turmoil? Jesus was
asleep in the boat!
Jesus wasn’t nervous or perplexed, nor did He feel things were out of control.
Why didn’t He simply get up and show His concern for them by calming the
storm? He ‘might’ have been waiting for them to seek Him and ask for His
help. As soon as they went to Him look how He responded:
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,
“Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it
was completely calm.
(Mark 4:39)
Then He asked them a thought-provoking question:
He said to his disciples, “Why are you
so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
(Mark 4:40)
Did you notice He used the phrase “still have no faith”? Apparently
He had proven His love and concern for them in the past, but they
had forgotten about those times during this moment of terror.
ACTION:
At the end of every storm of our life, we can look back and wonder,
“What just happened, and how did I survive?”
At the same time, we may get a glimpse of the positive effects of the
storm.
We may have gone through a very painful storm that others might
not understand, and when it was over, we realized that the Lord had
to be with us. Why? Because without His presence, we don’t see how
we could have survived. We could have become completely unraveled
and started having irrational thoughts and actions at any point during
the storm, but we didn’t. Why? Because the Lord was with us!
What storms are you going through right now? The storms may not
seem that severe to others, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t big to us
and they have caused disruption of our entire life. Hope has turned
into hopelessness and our future looks very gloomy.
Have you learned from what the disciples did when the storm was
raging? They sought the help of Jesus, didn’t they? Are you trying
to calm your storm alone, in your own strength? It’s not easy to do
when our own storm is raging, but we must be honest with ourselves,
swallow our pride, and realize that we are in despair, and we have a
desperate need for divine help.
Friends and family may only see a small portion of the impact the
storm is having on us. They may not be aware of the overwhelming
feelings of emotions we are experiencing and the flowing of our tears
when we are alone and the storm is pressing down on us from all sides.
But, the Lord sees it all, and He knows what we need to ‘keep on
keeping on’. In the middle of our emotional upheaval, it may not
be easy, but if we can remember the verse below, it can give us the
kind of calming effect we are desperately seeking, but can’t find
anywhere else. The Lord is working for our good, and He has a
purpose for us and what we are going through right now,
And we know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28)
Remember, the Lord may respond to our needs in various ways.
– We may hear a song and the words or melody calm our spirit.
– We may hear a sermon that speaks directly to our hearts.
– We may read a scripture that relates to what we are experiencing.
– He may make us aware that this is part of His sanctification process.
– He may send us a new friend who He will use to communicate with us.
– He may arouse the spirit of a longtime friend to encourage and pray for us.
Whatever He chooses, we know it will be exactly what we need,
because He loves us, He cares about us, and He wants what’s best for us!
Can you recall previous times when You have asked for and received
help from Jesus? The answer to the initial question at the beginning
of this devotional He gave me to distribute is,
“Yes, Jesus really does care about you!”
When He went to the cross, He showed the depth, height, and width
of His love and concern for you, and for everyone else as well.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, nothing surprises You, so You know about
the current storm in my life. I know that You have helped me in
previous storms and I trust that You will help me in this one as
well. Protect me from the evil one’s schemes to convince me that
You no longer care about me. When You sent Your Son Jesus to
the cross, You proved to the world how much You care about me,
and everyone else. Thank You Jesus for proving Your love and
concern for me. Thank You in advance for how You will calm
my current storm. Help me to spend more time learning from
this storm and less time worrying about Your presence and
Your concern. Remind me of how you have been with me in
previous storms, which may have been less, or more severe
than this one. Help me to realize that You have a purpose for
this storm in my life, and to grow in my closeness to You and
my desire to live a more righteous life. I love you Jesus!”
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