Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Here are some additional observations about Jesus, the God of peace.

Today’s scripture, Mark 4:35-41 (KJV) shares…
[35] And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. [36] And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. [37] And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. [38] And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? [39] And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. [40] And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? [41] And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Consider…
My wife and I date through the alphabet. This entails each of us taking turns planning a date for the other person based on a letter theme and their known interests or desires. Part of what makes dating this way fun is the excitement of leading my wife into what’s unknown for her but fully known by me, and vice versa.

As I remembered today’s scripture, I imagined Jesus knowing that He was leading the disciples into the unknown of what He already knew. You see when Jesus told His disciples, “Let us pass over unto the other side”, the Lord of all creation already knew they would travel through a storm of doubt and fear in order to reach their destination of fortified faith in His presence.

You see there’s a difference between knowing what Jesus can do and being confident in His presence.

Thus, rather than allowing the disciples to have smooth sailing to the other side, scripture says Jesus went to sleep ahead of the soon coming storm.

Sometimes today’s passage is used to encourage us that God will speak peace to our storms. However, what we forget to recognize is the providence of God to allow us to encounter the storms of doubt and fear, in order to build our faith in His presence.

The passage is also used to illustrate our lack of faith, yet look closely at the disciples actions and words at the end of verse 38…
…and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

The disciples had faith, as do we, but it was in what Jesus could do rather than His presence with them.

More often than not, we ask the Lord to deliver us from something, rather than thank Him for His presence with us in the midst of it.

Fortunately God, in His infinite mercies and unfailing compassions Lamentations 3:22, doesn’t let us be consumed by the storms of our doubt and fear based on what we see, which is due to our lack of full awareness of who we know. Verse 39 says…
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Reading this hit play on Vanessa Bell Armstrong singing…

Master, the tempest is raging
The billows are tossing high
The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness
No shelter or help is nigh
Carest thou not that we perish?
How canst thou lie asleep
When each moment so madly is threatning
A grave in the angry deep?

The winds and the waves shall obey thy will
Peace, be still
Peace, be still
Peace, be still
Peace, be still
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea
Or demons, or men, or whatever it be
No water can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean and earth and sky
They all shall sweetly obey thy will
Peace, peace, be still

Like me, you probably love these lyrics. Yet, notice verse 40 from today’s scripture…
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

I believe Jesus is still asking the same questions to us today. The Holy Spirit is reiterating, Jesus isn’t questioning our faith in believing what He can or will do, but in knowing that He, the God of Peace, is with us in the midst of the storm.

That makes me think of one of my favorite song’s lyrics…

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine
He’s been my fourth man in the fire, time after time

I believe God wants us to have the Hebrew Boy faith demonstrated in Daniel 3:16-18 (NLT)…
[16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. [17] If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. [18] But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

The Holy Spirit is telling me this is “God’s able, but even if” faith. This type of faith will make you willingly walk into the storm, because you know that Jesus is your “fourth man in the fire, time after time.”

Today, I encourage you to let God transform your thinking, and faith, from seeking deliverance from your storms, to thanking Him for His presence in the midst of them.

Jesus wants riding with Him to be an exhilarating revelation of who He is, rather than a debilitating devastation of what He may or may not do.

Enjoy riding with Jesus, the God of Peace, today.

Today’s song is…
Through The Storm

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)