Tag: wind and waves obey
“Jesus, please leave!”
Scripture reading for October 16th: Mark 4-7
We who love Jesus can’t envision asking Him to depart from us or leave our town. We would invite Him to stay with us as long as possible to enjoy His companionship. Jesus wants to come and be with us as well, for He came to earth to seek out and save lost people. (Luke 19:10)
After ministering to a crowd all day, Jesus told His disciples that they should go to the other side of the lake. Jesus got in the stern, found a cushion and went to sleep. It had been a hard day and He was tired! As they crossed the lake in the night, a furious wind arose that threatened to swamp the boat. The disciples excitedly woke Jesus, pleading for help. Jesus rebuked the wind and waves and a calm suddenly fell upon them. He chastened them for their fear and lack of faith. (Mark 4:35-41)
When they got across the lake, a man with an evil spirit came from a graveyard to meet Jesus. He had chains on his hands and feet. The man’s name was “Legion” because of the large number of demons in him. Jesus rebuked the evil spirits and sent them into a herd of pigs as they requested. The swine ran over a steep bank, tumbled into the lake and drowned. Nearly two thousand pigs died!
The man was delivered, set free from the bondage, and in his right mind! (Mark 4:14-17) The people of the region, who depended on the pigs for their sustenance, were terrified and angry. They came to Jesus and asked Him to leave their region. Mark recorded that Jesus got into the boat to leave, and the delivered man asked to come along. Jesus sent him back to tell his family of what the Lord had done for him and then departed.
Jesus loves and cares for His own disciples. He’s always with us, even when we think He might be sleeping or unaware! And Jesus loves to go out of His way to find someone who needs help. He came to seek and save the lost! He will go through water, storm, and forces of hell to reach a needy soul. But those who are into themselves are threatened by Jesus’ presence. They asked Him to leave!
Who is this Man?
Scripture reading for February 20th: Mark 4:26-5:20, Psalms 37:29-40, Proverbs 10:6-7
“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 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?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!” (Mark 4:37-41)
Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee at night with some other boats. They had just finished a long day of ministry and teaching and Jesus was tired. He fell asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat. A sudden storm broke over the waters and threatened the boat. It so frightened even the seasoned fishermen among them that they woke Jesus up! They had learned that Jesus had authority over many things and could not understand why He was asleep during this crisis that needed His attention.
Jesus, upon awakening, stood up in the tossing boat and addressed the wind and the waves, commanding them to be quiet. Immediately, it became calm! This dramatic turn of events brought amazement to these terrified disciples. Jesus questioned them about their faith and why they were afraid. They wondered out loud about who this Man was who could speak to wind and wave and they would obey! (Mark 4:41)
Many Christians encounter storms that cause them to be afraid and doubt. They often feel like the Master is sleeping and does not care about them. They try to wake Him up with their prayers of anguish in the midst of the storm. It is never wrong to pray, but why be afraid? Has He not given us faith? And given us authority as well? Faith should move us to take action. If you are in a storm today, take a promise from God’s word and speak over your problem. (Mark 11:22-24) Speak with authority and don’t doubt God will back up His word! When we know Who it is that is in our boat, we can stay calm and act in the authority He gave us!