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 be concerned whether Jesus cares or
not, but whenever we are experiencing bad times, this could 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, concern, and 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.
He may give us an answer in ways we never expected, or fully understand.
For instance,
He may give us an 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 be closer to Him.
Our experience may be preparation for Him
to use us to minister 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 yet
Jesus was asleep in the boat!
Jesus was not nervous, 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 need.
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.
It may have been a very painful storm for us that others might not
understand, and looking back, we realize that the Lord had to be
with us. Why? Because without His presence, there is no way we
could have survived. At any point during the storm we could have
become completely unraveled and started having irrational thoughts
and actions.
What storms are you going through right now? The storms may not
seem that severe to others, but it doesn’t mean they are not big to us
and have disrupted our entire life. Hope has turned into hopelessness
and our future looks very gloomy.
In the midst of a storm, it’s not easy to so, but have you learned
from the disciples who were in a storm and sought Jesus, or, are
you trying to calm the storm alone, in your own strength? We have
to 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
emotional feelings we are experiencing and the tears flowing when
we are alone with the storm 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 that the verse below assures us
that the Lord is working for our good, and that He has a purpose
for us and what we are going through right now, it can give us the
kind of calming effect we are desperately seeking, but cannot find
anywhere else.
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)
Do 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 others.
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, n\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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